


La Vie en Rose

by Lilium00



Category: Time Crisis (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-07-11 15:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 38,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15975290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilium00/pseuds/Lilium00
Summary: Two of the French Navy's four ballistic missile submarines had been hijacked and stolen. With the impending danger of a nuclear war, Giorgio and Evan were sent to investigate the incident.





	1. I love you

**Author's Note:**

> \- Buckle up and get ready to be sea sick, guys! This month we're going to awesome France by ship! For various reasons! XD (Bottom line, France because I just LOVE the country. And because Evan~)
> 
> \- My other projects are burning in the background as we speak, so I have a feeling that I'll disappear for awhile again... T-T  
> My 'one completed long fic per month' rule doesn't change, though! I'll do my best to have this done by the end of this month!
> 
> \- Started with zero knowledge on almost everything that appeared in this fic, so I went and researched like nuts! As usual, feel free to poke me if you spot anything weird with the way things work or the language :)
> 
> \- Trivia: The beautiful French language, so of course, this time all the chapter titles are romantic phrases in French. Have fun! :D
> 
> \- (16/9 EDIT) *Unloads some Giorgio and Evan doodles onto you* (Yes, I'm an artist before a writer! Warning that the rest of my pixiv account is full of my OCs and original works. Go say hi to them if you want XD) :  
> https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=manga&illust_id=70713290

**Disclaimer:**

This is a work of fiction and has no connection to any military or law enforcement agencies. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any trademarks appearing in this work are the property of their respective owners.

* * *

**【Chapter 1: Je t'aime】**

_ー Je t'aime. ー_  
_ー I love you. ー_

_One must not forget that the sea, although beautiful and abundant, was also a capricious and unforgiving mistress, forever shrouded in mystery. Once you thought that you had known her, she would turn away, slipping out of your grasp. Tonight, her treacherous waves tossed and turned forebodingly. She smiled darkly, slowly opening her cupped hands._

_To men, she revealed a new peril..._

* * *

_Balearic Sea 2:23_

In the cold, thunderous July night, the waters of the Balearic Sea stirred roughly in the turbulent storm, rising high and dropping low. Nothing could be seen for miles in the darkness and the pouring rain. Nothing, save for the burning glow a gargantuan pillar of fire and smoke, ascending from the deck of a large aircraft carrier.

The majestic flagship of the French Navy, the  _Charles de Gaulle_ , was just heading back to her homeport in Toulon, France, after finishing her operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The carrier's battle group, consisting of four smaller ships and a submarine, sailed closely by her sides as escorts. The fleet had made it only halfway through the Balearic Sea when it had started raining. The sea's tall waves being nothing for the big ships, they had continued to sail onwards. Things were going fine at first, until out of nowhere, the flagship was suddenly shot at by the cannon of an undetected enemy, trapping the entire fleet in the storm.

" _Capitaine!_  We're under attack!"

The naval officers who had stayed up for the night shift had immediately sounded the alarm, waking all those on board. Everyone quickly scrambled into position preparing for the attack. Unfortunately, being low on supplies and exhausted after their operations, the officers of the  _Charles de Gaulle_  found themselves to be in quite a pinch.

Flashes of lightning revealed the silhouette of a large, unidentified enemy ship approaching them from their left. The enemy continued to shoot at the  _Charles de Gaulle_  with what seemed to be large caliber guns, preventing the naval officers on her from organizing themselves. Another explosion was heard as the enemy's cannon landed a hit on the aircraft carrier's stern. Orders were issued with haste among the officers.

"Contact our frigates and tell them to get ready! We'll push them back!"

"Sir! The signal's been jammed! We can't get in touch with our other ships!"

"Distress signals are not sending!"

"What?!"

As the enemy ship got closer, the great fire that had risen from the  _Charles de Gaulle_ 's deck illuminated her. When everyone saw what type of ship it was, they could only hold their breath in dismay.

A black, heavily armed dreadnought, a battleship made first and foremost for the purpose of destroying enemy ships, loomed before them. On her was flown not a flag of any nation, but a tattered Jolly Roger.  _'Le Fantôme'_  was painted on the sides of her bow. Two smaller frigates and four black destroyers zipped by her side, providing support and quickly circling the  _Charles de Gaulle_.

" _Capitaine!_  It's a heavily armed and armored battleship!" One of the naval officers reported hurriedly, stumbling into the ship's bridge in terror. "Seeing from their equipments, they might have enough power to match or even surpass us. Do we still engage them?!"

Baffled by how such a gigantic ship could have approached them without appearing on the radar, the commanding officer and captain of the _Charles de Gaulle_ gritted his teeth in frustration. Before they could decide on the best course of action, their radio suddenly crackled. The enemy's voice came in, giving them a warning.

" _Bonsoir, messieurs!_  (Good evening, gentlemen!) Bad weather today, isn't it? This is the captain of the  _Fantôme_  speaking. I have your frigates and submarine hostage and you've been surrounded. I'll have all the officers come out to the deck immediately and surrender, otherwise you'll be sunk!"

The lives of over 2000 officers at stake...

The captain frowned deeply. After a long pause and hesitance, he reluctantly replied.

" _Oui, d'accord._  (Yes, alright.) Don't touch the officers!"

Having no choice but to listen, everyone on board the  _Charles de Gaulle_  put on their raincoats and headed out. Nervous and tense, they gathered outside on the deck, the rain pouring down hard on them.

Unperturbed by the storm due to her size, the  _Fantôme_  closed in easily. Once they were close enough, the enemy sailors boarded the aircraft carrier with their firearms. They pointed their guns at the officers on the deck threateningly. His orders met, the  _Fantôme_ 's captain came to join them, gracefully landing on the deck.

Wearing a hooded black long coat and a blood red lace jabot, his sharp and dashing countenance was wasted on his evil deeds. Gold rings ornamented his ears and gloved fingers; various jewelries his coat. From his waist hung an ornate cutlass and a black and gold Beretta. At a glance, one would think that he didn't come from this age. The naval officers held their breath as he walked forward, stopping in front of them and studying them.

"Heh, thought I'd have to fight tooth and nail to get here. You made it all too easy!" The mysterious man laughed. " _Eh bien_  (Oh well), not that I'd complain. The real fun starts now anyway," he smirked, before turning to his crew. His next words carved horror into everyone's faces.

"Men! We only need the ships! Spare no soul any mercy!"

The men roared, they held up their guns and were about to fire, but then one of the officers interrupted.

" _Attendez!_  (Wait!)"

The  _Fantôme_ 's captain turned and glared at him. The officer took a few bold steps forward, his raincoat billowing in the strong winds, seemingly unafraid.

" _C'est incroyable!_  (This is unbelievable!) We've followed your ordersーHow could you do this to your own countrymen?!" He demanded, gesturing angrily.

_Oh, an arrogant young man who needed to be hammered in._

The  _Fantôme_ 's captain smirked. If he was going to kill all of them anyway, he might as well toy with them a littleーa cat playing with its helpless prey before dealing the death blow. He walked over to the officer, roughly grabbing him by the collar. The poor officer gasped.

"Playing hero now, aren't we?" He laughed, "Just so you know, the entire sea will soon be ours, and I shall do as I please while we're on it!"

With that, he shoved the officer roughly to the ground, letting him crash hard against the watery deck. The captain drew out his cutlass.

"Since you've been so brave as to step forward, monsieur, why don't we start tonight's bloodbath with  _you_?" He asked with a twisted grin, pointing his cutlass at the officer.

"The name's Gauthier l'Olonnais. Remember me as your killer."

Just as he was about to slash at his victim, a distant gunshot was heard, and a bullet was suddenly shot through his left shoulder.

"...?!" Gauthier was knocked back, gripping his wound in pain. He glared disbelievingly at the direction the bullet had come from.

Atop the  _Charles de Gaulle_ 's bridge, VSSE field operative Giorgio Bruno peered through the scope of his sniper rifle, getting it ready for another shot. Before Gauthier could even react, he felt the cold steel of a pistol being pressed against his temple.

" _Oups! Quel dommage~_  (Too bad~)"

The officer he had pushed down earlier had stood up. He lifted his face, grinning smugly at the enemy captain from under his raincoat hood. VSSE field operative Evan Bernard. Gauthier glared at him in anger. Evan started.

"Well monsieur, we heard that there's been trouble around these waters and had expected an attack. Never quite expected it to be a whole pirate dreadnought!" He exclaimed, bothered by the giant battleship looming by their side. "Either way, we have you now. Come quietly!" Evan ordered, keeping his gun pressed against Gauthier's head.

"As if I would!" Gauthier didn't give Evan a chance, immediately swinging his cutlass towards Evan's stomach.

"...!" Evan twisted away just in time to avoid getting disemboweled, only to have his side kicked roughly by Gauthier's boot, knocking him down.

"Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!" Gauthier laughed as he shouted his orders.

Their captain freed, the enemy sailors proceeded to open fire. The naval officers ducked and scrambled for cover. Throwing off their raincoats, they revealed their hidden bulletproof vests underneath, firearms and ammo ready at their hips. Having fully prepared, they engaged the enemy in battle, starting a shootout between the two sides. The deck came alive and became a war zone. Overseeing the entire chaos from atop the  _Charles de Gaulle_ 's bridge, Giorgio rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

_'Plan A failed and the worst case scenario happened. Great.'_

Putting away his sniper rifle, Giorgio took out his trademark M1911. Turning swiftly, he dashed off to join the party below.

"Hahahahaha!" Gauthier laughed, continuing to fight and slash at the naval officers despite his injury. Seeing the ship's commanding officer fighting a little away from him caught his attention. With a smirk, he sheathed his cutlass and pulled out his Beretta. Pointing his gun at his prey, he was just about to move in for the kill, but a few gunshots towards him forced him back.

"Never in a million years!" Evan shouted, his handgun pointed at the enemy captain.

"Why, you...!" Gauthier glared, not appreciating the distraction. To his surprise, Evan was grinning.

"I'd surrender if I were you. We've already won the fight," Evan said smugly.

" _Ta gueule!_  (Shut up!) I'll take you down firsー ...?!"

Gauthier was cut short, eyes widening when he saw that behind Evan, a great cluster of lights was heading towards them from the distance, closing in quickly. They had come from the direction of Toulon, which could only mean one thing. The flashes of lightning showed the silhouette of several destroyers and frigates in the coming fleet.

Frowning in annoyance, Gauthier shot at Evan, forcing him to roll behind a nearby jet for cover. Gauthier turned to his men.

"Their backup had arrived! Retreat!" He commanded, seeing that they would be horribly outnumbered.

"We won't let you!" Evan shouted.

"Heh, eat this!" Gauthier retorted with confidence, signaling to his men with a wave of his hand.

"...?!"

A series of shots were fired from the  _Fantôme_ 's powerful cannons, impacting against the  _Charles de Gaulle_ 's side and rocking her roughly. The giant ship creaked and wailed as she tilted. Evan heard some screams, seeing some of the officers fighting near the edge tip over and plunge down into the raging waters below.

" _Non...!_  (No...!)"

" _Au revoir!_  (So long!) Hahaha!" Gauthier laughed, running off during the chaos.

"...!" Evan chased after and shot at him, but Gauthier had put enough distance between them, jumping back onto his own ship. The rest of his men retreated with him. Evan stopped at the edge, watching them go.

"You can't save everyone," the enemy captain said, smirking darkly as the  _Fantôme_  began to move away, disappearing into the stormy night.

Evan glared at him, but Gauthier was hardly what he should be worried about right now. The naval officers at the edge of the  _Charles de Gaulle_  were screaming, desperately calling out to their fallen comrades below. Giorgio was there helping them throw several long rope ladders down so the fallen officers could climb back up. Evan ran there to help immediately.

With the rough seas tossing them up and down several meters, it was a great challenge for the naval officers in the water to even grab a hold of the rope ladder. But although it was a fierce struggle, they somewhat managed, to everyone's relief.

"PAUL!"

Evan and Giorgio turned to look. Several officers were gathered on one side at the deck's edge, shouting for their friend. Looking at the waters, they spotted an officer who's arm had been injured in the shootout, barely managing to keep himself afloat as the ruthless waves continued to drag him away.

" _Zut!_ " Evan's natural instincts kicked in. Without much thinking, he rushed off to the edge and jumped.

"EVAN!" Giorgio shouted in horror.

He bent over the edge and looked. Evan resurfaced from the freezing black waters, immediately trying to make his way to Paul. Every now and then the waves would swallow him, but he pushed on. He was barely halfway there when Paul, overwhelmed by his exhaustion and pain, couldn't keep himself afloat any longer, sinking below the surface. Evan cursed, diving in. Those watching from the deck held their breath with building tension.

Fortunately, Evan resurfaced a little later, Paul safely in his arms, coughing out seawater. Paul's friends on the deck cheered a little. The bad news was that Evan and Paul had been washed off so far away from their ships. One of the the  _Charles de Gaulle_ 's frigates that was closest to them tried to move closer, the officers on board calling out to them. Another wave washed Evan over, tearing Paul out of his hands. He quickly swam and held onto the bleeding officer again before he could drift any further.

"Stay with me! We're going to make it!" Evan reassured him, trying to swim towards their ships with difficulty. Paul only looked at him wordlessly. And then he made the hard decision.

"Monsieur, we're both going to die like this! Just let me go," he said in tears, knowing that he was a lost cause.

"Don't be stupid! I'm not leaving anyone behind!"

Another giant wave crashed upon them mercilessly, separating them. Evan rolled over in the harsh waves. Once he managed to pull himself together, he forced his way to the surface, coughing once he had succeeded. Paul was nowhere in sight.

"PAUL!" He shouted, looking around frantically. Try as he might, he couldn't see the officer. Cursing, he dived underwater again and looked.

Paul was there, suffocating as he had no strength left to pull himself up. Evan made his way there and grabbed onto him, dragging him up. They managed to get back to the surface, only to find that they were so hopelessly far away from their fleet. The frigate that was coming to help them was moving its searchlight frantically across the black waters, having lost sight of them.

"OVER HERE!" Evan yelled so loudly that his throat hurt. But no matter how many times he called, the thunders and storm swallowed his voice. Unable to spot them, the frigate sailed a different direction, searching the other parts of the waters away from them.

_'You can't save everyone.'_

Gauthier's words came back like a thorn on Evan's side. The cold waters were freezing him and Paul to the bones. Throat too raw and hoarse to call out another time, he thought that he was done for. But suddenly, a bright searchlight shone on them from behind. Evan turned around to look, and he couldn't express his relief.

A very familiar gray patrol vessel with its blue, white and red stripes towered there, stopping by close to them. On its side, 'P675' was written, and Evan recognized it immediately as the  _Arago_. The Maritime Gendarmerie, the French coastguard, was here.

Evan quickly grabbed onto the lifebuoys thrown at him and Paul, letting the coastguard officers help pull them up. With some difficulty, they were successfully hauled on board, crashing onto the patrol ship's deck. The coastguard officers cheered, some of them quickly heading off to contact the  _Charles de Gaulle_  about their rescue.

Although exhausted, Evan was grinning from ear to ear as he was handed a thick blanket. He used to be part of the coastguard himself before the VSSE had scouted him, and he remembered how much of a celebration it was whenever a life was saved. Still seated on the deck, he patted Paul's back, happy for him. Paul nodded in relief, grateful. Evan watched as the nearby officers wrapped Paul up, bringing him over to the ship's medic.

His worries taken care of, Evan let himself fall back onto the ground, tiredness taking over. Their enemy had escaped, but at least they had been able to reduce their losses. Hoping that all the other officers of the  _Charles de Gaulle_  had survived, Evan closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep.

* * *

_"We have a new mission for you, gentlemen."_

_"Two of the French Navy's four ballistic missile submarines had been hijacked and stolen. There's a danger that they'll be used to start a nuclear war. Work together with the French Navy and investigate the incidentー"_

_The transmission buzzed and the screen blacked out, the laptop sinking further down into the dark abyss of the ocean._

_Evan opened his eyes, finding himself floating weightlessly in the water, not breathing._

_In the night, everything was black. The only light was from a burning mess above the surfaceーwhat little was left of the sinking cruise ship next to him that hadn't sunken. The dead bodies of hundreds of innocent passengers floated around him. Turning his head, Evan could see Paul and the other officers who had fought with him earlier floating there. He felt lethargic and nauseous. Another lifeless body sank down slowly in front of him._

_Giorgio..._

Evan woke up.

* * *

_Ship cabin, Charles de Gaulle, Balearic Sea 5:17_

After everything had calmed down, the  _Charles de Gaulle_  and its battle group had continued making their way to their homeport in Toulon, escorted by the backup ships of the French Navy and the coastguard. The  _Fantôme_  had vanished without a trace, disappearing as if she had never existed. But although the enemy's capture had failed, everyone was glad that they had at least managed to deflect the attack, and even more glad that all the officers had survived when they did a headcount. Afterwards, everyone had gone back to their cabins for a well-deserved rest.

Despite being tired and wanting to get some more sleep, Giorgio stirred in his bunk bed. The bright lights of the cabin he was in had been lit up. He glanced over at the clock on the wall, squinting disapprovingly at the early hour it pointed. Annoyed at being woken up, Giorgio groggily leaned out, looking up at the culprit on the bed above him. Evan was sitting there, curled up against the wall, reading a book.

...Reading a book.

The last thing that the youngster would probably do, even if mobile phones weren't allowed on board. Why'd he wake up so early just for that? And then he noticed how Evan was just flipping through the pages, eyes not particularly looking at anything. Giorgio raised an eyebrow.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, annoyance having melted away into worry and concern. Evan jumped a little, snapping back into reality. He looked down at Giorgio.

"...Yeah. Did I wake you up? Sorry for that," he apologized, sounding quite down. Giorgio eyed him curiously.

"You were so cheerful just a little while ago... Nightmare?" He guessed. Evan put his book away, sighing and hugging his knees.

"I guess so...? Don't worry, though. It's nothing big."

"Big enough to keep you awake and tear that ever present grin off your face, though. You can talk about it if you want," Giorgio replied. Having worked with Evan for quite awhile, he wasn't going to let his partner fool him.

"...Nah, I'm fine. Really," Evan said, lying down on his stomach and peeking down at Giorgio. Despite his words, his expression remained rather troubled. "It's just that a lot of things happened tonight."

"Sure you can go back to sleep like that? You can come sleep down here with me if you want," Giorgio teased as he shifted to the side and tapped at the empty space next to him, pretending that Evan was a scared little boy. "Just keep in mind that I might steal your blanket and squish you to death in your sleep, considering how chokingly small this bed is. Consider that as the rental fee," he joked.

" _Tonton!_  (Uncle!) Not funny!" Evan laughed.

During his VSSE days, Evan had certainly gotten lost a little too many times and had run into quite a lot of corners, being the rookie that he was. At such times, Giorgio would always be his lighthouse in the storm, directing him back to the right path. He couldn't be more thankful. Sighing, he smiled at his partner and mentor.

"Giorgio,  _comme je t'aime!_  (how I love you!)"

"You said something?"

"Nothing!" Evan laughed, pulling his blanket over himself. "Still some time until we arrive. I think I'll have a nice sleep. Thanks, Giorgio!"

"No problem," Giorgio smiled, glad that his partner, the usual ball of cheerfulness and mischief, was back. He reached out to flick off the light switch on the wall before retreating back into his own sheets. Content, Evan drifted off to sleep peacefully.

Life was beautiful.


	2. I miss you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I've wanted to just plug Evan's entire backstory into this fic, but it looks like it might complicate things...x.x Guess I'll just save that for a separate fic? o.O
> 
> \- Thought that this fandom might as well use some more fanart, so I doodled some and put the link in Chapter 1's Author's Note (for easy access in future). Go give it a look if you're interested! XD

**【Chapter 2: Tu me manques】**

_ー Tu me manques. ー_  
_ー I miss you. ー_

_Marine Nationale Headquarters, Toulon, France 9:54_

Although the bad weather and the unexpected attack had hindered her travel, the  _Charles de Gaulle_  had arrived safely at her homeport at around 8 in the morning.

Giorgio and Evan had had a pleasant breakfast in the ship's cafeteria with the other sailors on the way, discussing the events of the previous night over some freshly baked baguettes, tartines and coffee, which had been prepared by the ship's professional chefs. The fact that Gauthier's huge fleet had traveled undetected, and even tried to hijack their entire aircraft carrier, was quite unexpected. Everyone came up with various theories, and Giorgio and Evan had continued discussing theirs even after they had left the ship.

"Gauthier l'Olonnais... Must be some crazy terrorist playing pirate!" Evan said as they sat waiting in the meeting room of the French Navy's Headquarters building.

"I wonder...," Giorgio contemplated. "You think 'l'Olonnais' has anything to do with 'François l'Olonnais'? He's a French pirate from the 1600s. If Gauthier's playing pirate, he's certainly being very serious about it."

" _Merde._  Is this François guy famous or something?" Evan asked, a little embarrassed, thinking that he should have known more about his own history.

"Killed an entire ship's crew, pillaged and burnt entire towns, then cut out someone's heart and ate it, if you want to call  _that_  famous. Add a love of torture for the finishing touch. Everyone feared him when he was alive."

"Well,  _putain_ ," Evan cursed, slightly regretting to have asked after listening to the gruesome story.

There was soon a knock at the meeting room's door, and Brigadier General Xavier Grégoire, head of the Gendarmerie Maritime, entered the room with his papers. Evan laid eyes on him and looked like he wanted to explode, but kept to himself for the sake of politeness. Xavier himself couldn't be more surprised to see Evan.

"Evan! So it  _is_  you!" He exclaimed, unable to hold back his disbelief, "Thought that it's just someone with the same name!"

Evan might have grown and looked a little different compared to the last time they had met a few years ago, but his generally bright atmosphere and the small scar on his left brow gave it all away.

" _Oui, c'est moi, capitaine!_  (Yes, it's me, captain!) I missed you!" Evan laughed lightheartedly, pleased to meet his former superior, "Can't believe that you've climbed up the ranks to become the Gendarmerie Maritime's leader!  _Félicitations!_  (Congratulations!)"

"Can't believe that  _you_  became a secret agent in the VSSE! You told us you had moved to Paris to become a construction worker or something. And here I thought you've found yourself a safer job! You never change, do you?"

"Haha, yeah... Sorry about that," Evan grinned awkwardly.

Due to the nature of his job, he had been forbidden to tell anyone about it since the day he had joined the VSSE. It was when he suddenly had to work with old acquaintances like this that things could get quite interesting. Giorgio watched them with amusement. Xavier eyed Giorgio a little suspiciously, like a father worrying if his son was in good company.

"My man, Monsieur Giorgio Bruno. Awesome guy," Evan introduced to lift his worries, playfully wrapping an arm around Giorgio's shoulder and patting him. Giorgio wondered how close Evan was to Xavier that he could afford to be so casual. Xavier sighed in relief, taking a seat and continuing.

"Well, as much as I'd love to continue our chat, sorry for the distraction. In the light of last night's events, we've had a meeting among ourselves. The majority of the navy would be reorganizing themselves to increase security and gather information. It had been decided that the fifth force of the Marine Nationale, the Gendarmerie Maritime, would be in charge of handling this operation with you."

Giorgio and Evan nodded. Xavier handed them some files. They studied the reports in them carefully.

"The enemy attacked us for our ships last night, as you had suspected. The  _Charles de Gaulle_  falling into enemy hands with all her missiles and aircraft would have been devastating. Thank you for preparing us and for preventing the hijacking," Xavier began, "They might have escaped, but last night's battle had certainly provided a lot of information. The enemy's goal seemed to be the creation of an unparalleled naval force by the theft of existing ships."

"They certainly needed a lot of money and skills to even consider doing that," Giorgio said. "Attacking the  _Charles de Gaulle_  head on like that means that they had enough confidence in their strength to win. Any leads on where they got their dreadnought and sailors?"

"Some of the sailors on board had caught some photograph evidence," Xavier replied, "Our intel teams are currently working on identifying the dreadnought and where she had come from. Fair warning that it might take time due to poor visibility."

Evan put down his papers in frustration. "If only there's something we can do! I don't want to think about what would happen if l'Olonnais suddenly decided to shoot the ballistic missiles from the two SSBNs that he had stolen."

"The FSM are as worried as you are. The officers aren't taking it easy on themselves for letting their submarines get stolen," Xavier told him. "But no threats had been made about it so far. The enemy seemed to be holding it back for now, fortunately or notーPossibly for an even bigger scheme later on."

Giorgio and Evan leaned back on their chairs and looked at each other worriedly. Before their thoughts could head further down the hole, Xavier interrupted them.

"Now that we're done with the bad news, I have some good news," he said, catching their attention. "Our sailors had caught three of l'Olonnais' men last night. Their interrogation this morning had led to a certain Anaïs Lavigne, the owner of Château Vinrose, a First Growth Bordeaux wine producer from Médoc."

Xavier laid out a few photographs of a blond woman in a white dress on the table. Despite her relatively young age, she had the air of a businesswoman who could be counted on. She smiled in a charming and friendly manner as she talked to her clients in the photographs. Evan raised an eyebrow curiously.

"And? Are you saying that our young miss here is somehow responsible for our colossal naval attacks? Thought that Vinrose was quite a respected label," he asked, wondering how unlikely it sounded.

"As l'Olonnais' contact. Being a big name, she could move around freely, talking with other famous personages," Xavier explained. "We suspected that she had been gathering inside info and passing it to l'Olonnais' sailors. This brings us to your next job."

Giorgio and Evan straightened up and listened attentively.

"14th JulyーThe National Celebration would be held tomorrow," Xavier said. "L'Olonnais' men are supposed to meet up with Lavigne along the Seine at Louvre to obtain some additional intel. We'd like you to gather some evidence there so we can arrest Mademoiselle Lavigne for questioning."

"Leave it to us," Giorgio replied with a nod.

Xavier nodded back, "Any questions?" Evan raised his hand.

"If we're working with the Gendarmerie Maritime, any chance that Bastien and Désirée would be working with us?" He asked, wondering if he'd bump into more old acquaintances on the way and having to explain himself. Even so, despite the awkwardness that it was bound to cause, Evan couldn't shake off the thrill of meeting his old friends. If he was here, he might as well say hi.

"Ah, Monsieur Lebeau and Mademoiselle Garcia," Xavier replied, recognizing the names immediately, but his tone saddened. "Sorry, Evan. They've both quit the Gendarmerie a year after you've leftーSaid that they didn't have their hearts in it anymore..."

"Oh, that's a very nice joke,  _capitaine_ ," Evan laughed, before protesting earnestly, "Just, what?! They're among the most enthusiastic of my colleagues while I was still working here! They even told me that working here had been their dreams. How could they possibly leave?!"

"Life's not all a bed of roses, Evan. Monsieur Lebeau injured himself badly during a mission. Mademoiselle Garcia's two friends drowned during another sea rescue. I wouldn't blame them if they decided to look for a more settled life."

"...," Evan couldn't believe his ears. His two friends being posted at Toulon, they had fallen out of contact as Evan's secret agent life had been busy, especially during his first days. To think that some horrible things had happened to them while he wasn't looking filled him with a sense of guilt. He felt Giorgio put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Xavier sighed.

"I'd prefer that both of you don't end up biting more than you can chew and hurting yourselves like they had. One must not forget that ours is a dangerous job and we've lost brave men over the years," he said worriedly.

"That would be all. May your mission go well, messieurs."


	3. I don't want to lose you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *finally finished preventing my other project from burning*  
> I'm back! ...For now!  
> That project's monthly though, for one whole year. So as much as I'd love to just stay here and write everyday, expect me to vanish for 1 half to 2 weeks every month until next year's July or August... TuT  
> (I might tell you about what I'm doing later. We'll see :p)
> 
> Either way, with lots of unforeseen things happening in real life and this fic being much harder to write than expected, this might take time. (I rewrote this chapter three times because I kept messing up XD)
> 
> Anyway, here you go~

**【Chapter 3: Je ne veux pas te perdre】**

_ー Je ne veux pas te perdre. ー  
_ _ー I don't want to lose you. ー_

_The next day, Louvre, Paris 21:13_

_Le 14 Juillet._  It was a huge and jolly festival.

Known as 'Bastille Day' in other countries, the 14th of July was the national celebration day of France, commemorating the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, a turning point of the French Revolution. On the day every year, a grand celebration was held throughout the country.

People would start their festivities from the eve of the day, gathering at the closest local fire stations for the  _bal des pompiers_  (firemen's ball), listening to music, laughing, dancing and drinking together. On the day, the tricolour flags would line the streets and music would fill the air, the morning starting with the annual military parade and the festivities carrying on for the rest of the day until late into the night. But despite the joyful atmosphere, it was unfortunate that Giorgio and Evan couldn't join in as they were in the middle of a mission.

"That should do it!" Evan said, tightening the ropes around their passed out captives in an alley. They were l'Olonnais' two men to whom Anaïs was supposed to pass her intel tonight. He searched the men's pockets and pulled out an expensive looking, gold-bordered pink card with a rose printed in the middle.

"And this. This would be our ticket!" He told Giorgio, letting him take a good look at it before slipping it safely into his pocket. Realizing that he had gotten a cut on his cheek during the earlier scuffle, Evan took out a bandaid and quickly covered it up before continuing.

"The coast guards will come and collect these guys in a minute. Now we just need to pose as them and get Mademoiselle Lavigne's intel as evidence," he said, looking at Giorgio.

Giorgio nodded. Evan studied him for a moment.

"You know what? Maybe I should do this alone. Your look will give us away!" He considered, looking at their French captives and noting Giorgio's obviously Italian features. "And it wouldn't do if she suddenly says everything in French and you can only stand there looking blank and confused!"

Giorgio put a hand to his chin and thought. He didn't want to be left out of this, but Evan had a point and he didn't want to get in the way. More than that though, he felt a little worried about Evan.

"You sure you'll be fine by yourself? You've been rather... distracted, since yesterday," Giorgio asked, motioning to the bandaid on his partner's cheek. Evan's hand flew up to cover it reflexively.

"Ah,  _oui_  (yes). I'm okay, really. I'll be fine!" He said quickly, looking away. The tone in his voice told that he was lying. Giorgio folded his arms and gave him an unamused look.

"It's about your old friends, isn't it?" He asked. Evan sighed in surrender.

"Well... yeah," he admitted, "You know that maritime disaster that the VSSE scouted me for? I wouldn't be standing here if Bastien and Désirée didn't pull me out of that mess in the end. They're that important to me... And to think that I wasn't even there for them whenー"

He stopped midway, realizing that he was rambling. Asking around at Toulon yesterday got him the information that Désirée was out of anyone's reach and Bastien had gotten into drinking. Evan would have loved to call them and check out on them, but couldn't since he was stuck with work. Despite feeling guilty, he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Oh, what am I talking about? I shouldn't let things get in the way of our mission!" Evan said, forcing a grin. Giorgio looked at him worriedly.

"You know... If we finish quickly, you can always go looking for them. I'll do my best as well," Giorgio assured, "I'll probably help you with finding them since I don't have anything planned for after this mission."

" _Tonton...!_ " Evan laughed, "That's a lie, isn't it? Your to-do list is always packed!" He straightened up, smiling at Giorgio, "But if you'd help me, I'd totally appreciate it... Thanks!"

"Don't worry about it," Giorgio nodded, "Let's get going, shall we?"

* * *

_Louvre, Paris 21:37_

The Right Bank of the Seine was lively with music. The Eiffel Tower could be seen on the other side of the river, its majestic structure lit up by colourful lights, reflecting everyone's cheerful mood. At the Château Vinrose wine booth, Anaïs stood chatting with her colleagues and business partners, toasting to their future success. Her beautiful white dress and pink feather scarf, accompanied by her charming smile, easily made her stand out in the crowd. Evan and Giorgio, having changed into their suits for the occasion, observed her from a distance.

"Still hard to believe that she's a criminal," Evan said, tidying his suit coat and double checking everything to make sure he looked neat.

"You say that about every bad girl we come across," Giorgio commented lazily. Evan looked at him.

"Well, I know about equality and stuff, but I do prefer that the ladies don't get themselves into trouble. I feel bad having to put them behind bars!" He said. Giorgio chuckled a little.

"Same. Watch out for that soft spot, though. Don't let your guard down," he warned.

"Haha, yeah," Evan laughed. "I'll count on you for backup, then! Nothing can touch me as long as  _you_  are around!"

Giorgio nodded. Evan grinned confidently. He was just about to leave, but Giorgio grabbed him by the arm.

"Evan, just one thing."

"...?"

"I know that you always jump into everything knowing that I'll watch your back, but...," Giorgio said, a little worry in his voice, "Keep in mind that there are also places that my hands can't reach. It was bad enough at the aircraft carrier. Don't be too reckless..."

_I don't want to lose you._

Giorgio didn't say it, but Evan could hear it loud and clear as he looked into his sharp, reddish-brown eyes. He smiled at Giorgio reassuringly, gently taking Giorgio's hand off his arm.

"Don't worry,  _tonton_. I'm a big boy now!"

* * *

" _Merci! Au revoir!_  (Thank you! See you!)" Anaïs said cheerfully, waving at her colleagues. She kept her smile on her bright red lips until they had blended into the crowd and were out of sight.

"..."

Once she was alone, her expression turned serious. Brushing her short blond hair behind an ear, she looked back at her two bodyguards. One of them checked his watch and nodded at her. L'Olonnais' men would be here any minute.

" _D'accord. Allons-y,_  (Alright. Let's go,)" she said, motioning to them. They headed towards a nearby café, sitting at one of the outdoor tables.

Evan watched them from the crowd, waiting a little before making his move. He glanced to the side, spotting Giorgio ready and on stand by at the nearest lamppost. Evan had a hidden mic in his suit coat that would let Giorgio listen to his conversation. After making sure that it was turned on and working, he nodded at Giorgio. He then walked over towards Anaïs' table to begin his task.

" _Bonsoir_  (Good evening), Mademoiselle Lavigne!" He greeted as he approached, bowing lightly. "Jean Romée.  _Enchanté!_  (Pleased to meet you!)"

Anaïs looked at him and tilted her head a little. Charming man, but not someone she recognized. Her bodyguards stayed alert.

" _Pardonnez-moi_  (Pardon me), monsieur, have you come for a business deal? You'll have to forgive me because I'm about to have an appointment," Anaïs said.

" _Ah, ne vous en inquiétez pas,_  (Ah, don't worry about it,)" Evan said, taking out the pink rose card he had retrieved earlier and showing it to her. "I'm the man you're looking for."

Anaïs took the card and studied it. After making sure that it was real, she looked up at Evan. "What happened to Jacques and Thomas?" She asked worriedly.

Ah, so she knows them by name. Aren't they quite close? Evan scratched his head, quickly cooking up an excuse.

"Well, they ate something bad at dinner and got a bad case of food poisoning. I've been sent as a replacement."

"...," Anaïs considered it for a moment. Evan waited for her a little nervously.

" _Bon_  (Very well)... Monsieur Romée,  _n'est-ce pas_  (isn't it)? Why don't you take a seat?" She finally said. Evan wanted to sigh in relief, but prevented himself from doing so. He calmly seated himself.

" _Merci._  So, I've heard that I was supposed to pass some information back to the captain," Evan said.

" _Oui_  (Yes), it's right here," Anaïs replied. She looked around, as if to make sure that no one was looking. Then she opened her handbag and produced a pale pink envelope. "With this, the captain's next operation would go smoothly," she said with confidence, holding up the envelope. Evan lit up.

_'Jackpot! This is too easy~'_

"Why, Mademoiselle Lavigne,  _c'est magnifique!_  (how magnificent!) How did you get your hands on such useful information?" He asked in amazement.

"I have my ways," Anaïs smiled.

"Heh, I see. You should tell me about it some time," Evan said, smiling back, "Now, if you'd pass me that, I'll make sure that it reaches the captain safely."

He reached out for the envelope. But as his fingers brushed its corner, Anaïs pulled it away.

"Ah, not yet," Anaïs said playfully. She then slipped the envelope back into her handbag, much to Evan's dismay. Looking up at him again, she continued.

"We have a new shipment of weapons that just came in. I'd like you to come with me, check them, and send it off to the captain as well."

Evan considered the invitation for a moment. If she took him to their base, it might be quite hard to escape, but it would provide a whole new lead. On the other hand, if he didn't follow, it would be safer for him, but he'd lose his evidence altogether.

"...," Evan waited for Giorgio to say something through his earpiece, but Giorgio seemed to be hesitating as well. Thinking that it would be suspicious if he waited longer, Evan decided to reply.

" _Bon_ , I'll do that."

Anaïs smiled, " _Merci._  This way, then."

* * *

Evan followed Anaïs and her two bodyguards as they walked along the Seine. They went down the stairs towards a lower, quieter area on the riverbank at one point, where there was no one in sight. One of the guards stayed behind at the stairs, guarding it.

 _'Merde,'_  Evan cursed mentally, glancing back to see Giorgio getting stuck a little away on top of the stairs, having to keep his distance to prevent blowing their cover. Evan followed Anaïs quietly.

"We hid the shipment under that bridge up ahead. I hope you don't mind it being a little wet and dirty," Anaïs told him.

"Of course not!" Evan said quickly, forcing himself to stay calm. "Despite how dangerous this is, you certainly manage quite a lot of things for us, don't you, mademoiselle? I'm impressed! What drove you to such lengths?" He asked, trying to start a small talk.

It was 10:00 p.m. now. The 14th July fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower began, shooting colourful lights into the night sky and providing a beautiful view.

Looking up at the skies in wonder, Anaïs chuckled. "Monsieur Romée, say, have you ever... loved? Found that one person whom you'd do anything for...?" She said cryptically. "I've never believed it when I was younger, but once you did, it would be as the saying goesー _'Je vois la vie en rose.'_  (I see life through rose-tinted glasses)."

"...," Evan watched her wordlessly, trying to make out what she meant. She couldn't possibly mean...

His thoughts were interrupted as they stopped at their destination under the bridge. The darkness surrounding them made him feel a little uneasy.

"And here we are," Anaïs said before turning to Evan with a twisted grin, "Monsieur Evan Bernard."

"?!"

As if on cue, Anaïs' bodyguard who was standing behind Evan grabbed him, twisting his arm behind his back and wrestling him to the ground. Evan winced as he crashed hard on the wet pavement. The guard holding him down grabbed a rope from the pile of crates next to them and began tying him up.

 _"Evan!"_  He heard Giorgio's voice over his earpiece.

He gritted his teeth. Anaïs leaned down, brushing Evan's hair aside with her cold fingertips and plucking the device out of his ear, studying it curiously.

" _Qu'est-ce que c'est?_  (What's this?) You have a friend?" She asked in a dangerously sweet tone. With a flick, she tossed the earpiece over her shoulder into the river. She then turned to Evan, pressing a foot against his cheek.

"Don't worry, my other bodyguards will take  _good_  care of him," she smiled.

" _Non!_ "

"Heh, I know that something was up when Jaques and Thomas didn't contact me first about a plan change. My contact's information was true after all," Anaïs continued, studying the gold ring on her ring finger, before looking back at Evan with a dark smile.

"This is for getting in the way of my boyfriend.  _J'espère que vous aimez l'eau._  (I hope that you like the water.)"

* * *

"...!"

The next thing Evan remembered was being flung into the Seine with his arms and legs bound.

A little upstream at the base of the stairs, Giorgio was being held down against the pavement by two bodyguards, with an additional three more surrounding him.

The moment he heard that things had gone wrong on Evan's side from his mic, he had bolted down the stairs to fight the bodyguard standing there. What he didn't expect was that four more had been hiding in the crowd behind him. Outnumbered and taken by surprise, he was quickly overpowered and defeated. Giorgio struggled against the guards' grip. Anaïs had certainly readied a Plan B well.

" _Beau travail_  (Good work), messieurs!" Anaïs clapped as she walked towards them, pleased with their work. She looked down at Giorgio.

"Having to kill two charming gentlemen in one nightー _Oh là là_ , what a pity...," she said, shaking her head.

"What have you done?!" Giorgio demanded angrily, glaring up at her.

" _Votre ami?_  (Your friend?) Ah, he should be resting peacefully at the bottom of the Seine now. A beautiful grave, isn't it?" Anaïs said, looking at the calm waters.

 _'Evan...!'_  Giorgio's heart sank. He stopped struggling, letting himself drop to the ground. What he feared most had happened. He was too late... He was at a loss for words as he looked to the ground in despair. Anaïs studied his reaction with interest.

"Ooh, must have been close friends, are you not?" She asked, a little pity in her voice. She leaned down and tilted Giorgio's face up gently, "In that case, I'll be nice and at least have you thrown in at the same place..."

She pulled away slowly and stood up. The guards holding Giorgio forced him to his feet.

 _'No! This can't end here! Fight them! Fight back!'_  The warning alarms in Giorgio's head told him, but he found that he couldn't get over the shock of having just lost Evan. His legs felt weak and something in him threatened to explode and spill over. This couldn't be happening...!

Anaïs' bodyguards tied him up and he didn't, couldn't, resist. They were about to drag him under the bridge to drown when a female voice called out to them from atop the stairs.

"Anaïs! Hold it right there!"

Everyone looked up. Atop the stairs stood a mysterious woman clad in a hooded indigo coat, accompanied by her own set of bodyguards.

"My lady!" Anaïs called back, "I was just going to get rid of our enemy here. It'll be over quickly."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," the mysterious woman said, chuckling and looking at Giorgio, "What you have in your hands there is gold."

Anaïs glanced at Giorgio for a moment, before looking back up at the woman. "How so?" She asked.

"That man's a treasured agent of the VSSE. He's certainly no good for interrogation, but I'm sure we can use him as a bargaining chip when the time comes. I'd prefer you keep him alive."

"...," Anaïs looked back at Giorgio hesitantly. Keeping an enemy alive, especially if they were a dangerous one, had never been any good. But if her ally wanted it...

"If you say so, my lady," she bowed lightly.

Giorgio looked at Anaïs and up at the mysterious woman. Who was this person to know of his identity? He could be dealing with more than just the average criminal syndicate here.

He looked back desperately at the dark waters of the Seine under the bridge as Anaïs' men took him away.


	4. I can't live without you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's October! *enters rushing mode*  
> Let's hope I can finish quickly and move on to the next fic! Aaaaa x'DD  
> (Not sure if I can finish this and October's fic on time.)
> 
> Still trying to wriggle my way out of the trickier chapters of this fic. Things would probably turn easier to write once everything's set in motion. We're almost there...!

**【Chapter 4: Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi】**

_ー Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi. ー_  
_ー I can't live without you. ー_

_Louvre, Paris 22:17_

The fireworks show over the Eiffel Tower unfolded beautifully in the night. Music was in the air and the crowds cheered. All the people of France had a reason to be happy on this dayーall except him.

Bastien Lebeau took another swig from his bottle of expensive alcohol, sitting all by himself at the quieter banks of the Seine and looking at the distant happiness with envy. One and a half years ago, he had been a proud, athletic member of the Gendarmerie Maritime. Now, he was nothing but a messy, lean alcoholic with a paralyzed right arm that hung limply from his shoulder. One look and anyone would easily mistake him as a homeless man.

After the accident that had cost him his right arm, everything had looked horribly scary. He gave up his dreams and quit his job, hoping that he could get some peace of mind, but what awaited him was just further despair. Normally residing in Toulon, he thought that visiting Paris tonight and squandering some money might brighten up his mood a little, but it seemed that he had been wrong on that as well.

Bastien frowned in annoyance when he realized that his bottle was empty. He sighed, putting it down on the ground next to him and hunching over his knees, wondering what he was supposed to do with his life. The black waters of the Seine flowed quietly in front of him, beckoning sweetly. For a moment, he considered just throwing himself in. But then, a distant voice caught his attention.

" _Sauvez-moi!_  (Save me!)"

The voice was so distant that Bastien thought that he had imagined it. Maybe he had finally lost it, and it was the voice of his tortured soul speaking to him in his mind...

" _Quelqu'un! S'IL VOUS PLAÎT!_  (Somebody! PLEASE!)" The voice was heard again, shouting desperately between coughs.

It awoke the last remnants of the coast guard inside him and Bastien straightened up, alert, looking around quickly to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. Looking into the river, he spotted a drowning blond man, fighting hard to stay afloat and screaming for his life as the waters washed over him and dragged him further downstream.

Bastien looked around frantically. Everyone had gathered near the Eiffel and there was no one here as far as he could see. He looked at his paralyzed arm and back at the man. Was he supposed to jump in there like this? How was he going to do this?

" _Sauvez-moi!_  (Save me!)" The man in the river shouted again with the last of his strength.

Having no choice, Bastien quickly kicked off his shoes and ran towards the river, jumping in.

* * *

Evan thought that he wasn't going to make it.

They had very kindly tied his arms behind his back when they threw him into the Seine, so he couldn't use them to latch onto anything. His legs being bound tightly didn't help either. Evan tried keeping his face afloat by holding his breath, but the river's waves would keep washing over him and tossing him. He could only keep it up for so long before he got exhausted. His last option was to scream for help, hoping that somebody, anybody, would hear him.

But this area being a quiet one, no one answered his pleas no matter how hard he shouted. His hopeless voice died down as he sank below the surface. Holding onto the last bit of air in his lungs, Evan could only hope that Giorgio had successfully gotten away. If only he had been a better agent...

_'Giorgio, please be safe...'_

It was then that he felt something grip tightly around his waist. He opened his eyes. An arm? Someone had heard him!

Whoever that was dragged him with much difficulty back to the surface. Emerging from the water, they both coughed, sucking in plenty of air. The man carried Evan along to the riverbank, climbing up and then pulling Evan out of the water, dropping down next to him. They laid next to each other for a moment, coughing and panting.

Evan cracked open an eye, trying to look at his savior. This man... He looked quite lean and messy, but could it be...?

"Bastien...?" Evan asked with disbelief.

Bastien perked, eyes widening when he saw Evan as well.

"Evan?!"

* * *

_Hotel, Louvre, Paris 23:41_

After Evan's rescue, they had searched the Seine a little, as Evan said that 'another person' might have fallen into the river. But Evan found neither Giorgio nor Anaïs and her men anywhere in sight. Bastien quickly reported the fallen person case to the local police, and the police had started searching for them.

Evan hoped that they would find Giorgio alive instead of dead. Bastien thought that he couldn't just leave his friend wet and shivering there, so he offered to let him stay at his hotel room to settle down.

At the hotel, Evan had finished cleaning up first, so while Bastien took his shower, he sat at the couch, trying to contact Giorgio, waiting for the police search party to call him back. Good thing that the VSSE's upgraded phones were waterproof and could stand a beating.

But even as time wore on, Giorgio didn't reply at all, and Evan feared for the worst. When Bastien came out of the bathroom, Evan was in the middle of putting his shoes back on.

"Ev, where are you going?" He asked hurriedly.

"Back to the river. If I help out with the search, maybe we'll find my friend! I'll dive back in and look!" He said, rushing towards the door in panic. Bastien grabbed him by the arm, alarmed.

"Evan, _non_! What if you ran into the people who tried to drown you again?!"

"But... My friend...!"

"EVAN!" Bastien yelled, turning Evan towards him and gripping him by the shoulders tightly. "He's gone! He's gone, alright? If you search for him now, you'll only get yourself killed!"

"..."

It was hard to accept, but Bastien's words felt like reality had finally come to stab him in the heart. The realization hitting him, Evan broke down into tears, crying into Bastien's shoulder.

"No... It can't end like this...! Why...," he sobbed, "I was so useless!"

"...," Bastien stayed silent, feeling a little guilty. He led Evan to sit down at the edge of the bed, waiting for him to calm down. Evan remembered crying until he passed out of exhaustion.

* * *

_The next morning 9:07_

It was a sunny morning. The festivities of the previous day were over and the streets of Paris had gone back to being busy and bustling, people ready for work with a refreshed spirit.

In Bastien's hotel, Evan laid in the single bed, staring up at the ceiling quietly. His thoughts were clearer now that he had given himself some rest. Glancing to the couch, he saw Bastien still asleep there. He felt a little bad that he was the one using the bed although he was the guest. Looking around the room, Evan saw enough empty bottles of alcohol and wine to make him want to immediately send his friend to the hospital. Bastien himself looked dangerously thin.

Just yesterday, Evan would have been thrilled to see his friend, maybe ask him how he was doing and cheer him up. But after everything that had happened, he was barely in any shape to do that. Right now, the only things that mattered in his mind were his mission and whether or not Giorgio was still alive.

He reached out to his phone on the bedside table and checked it. No message or missed call from Giorgio. His hopes that Giorgio was still alive diminished even more. The police hadn't found his body either.

 _'Maybe he's just caught in something and can't talk...,'_  Evan tried to convince himself. But without Giorgio around, he felt as though he was gripped by a new fear.

No one was there to watch his back now. No one would be there to point him in the right direction. No one would fish him out of the next trouble... His safety net was gone.

Having worked two years as a VSSE agent, Evan thought that he could take care of things by himself now. But with Giorgio taken out of the picture, he suddenly realized just how much he still depended on him. He felt like a lost little child who had been separated from his parent, left to fend for himself in the wild. He suddenly lost all his confidence of being able to do anything.

 _'Don't panic...,'_  he tried to make himself think.

Last night's mission was a complete failure. Everything felt horrible. Evan scrolled through the contacts list in his phone, planning to contact Xavier at the Toulon Navy HQ to report his situation. He found the number, his finger hovering just over the call button, but then he suddenly stopped. Flashes of the previous night came back to him.

Anaïs knew him by name back at the bridge, and she behaved as though she had been prepared for everything. It was as if someone had informed her the full details about him and Giorgio. Seeing that only a few people knew that the two of them were even there, was there the possibility of a mole in the navy or the VSSE? If there was, it would make sense that Gauthier could find their hidden submarines so easily.

Bastien stirred on the couch. Evan looked there to see his friend trying hard to sit up with a groan, letting himself lean against his knees as he rubbed at his temples. Evan pulled himself into a sitting position, propping himself up against the pillows.

"Morning," he greeted, "You okay?"

"Yeah... Just a little... hangover," Bastien replied, standing up and going into the bathroom. Evan heard the tap being turned on.

"No answer from your friend?" Bastien asked, washing his face.

"... _Non_ ," Evan said sadly, his fingers curling tightly around his phone. He felt a heavy weight in his chest. Bastien came back out with a face towel, sitting back down at the couch and looking at Evan.

"Then maybe we should go back to the river and ask the police how the search is going. I'll come with you," he said, "But first, I think you owe me some explanation. Tell me who dared to do such a horrible thing to you last nightーI'll punch their faces in!"

"...," Evan looked at him with uncertainty, remembering how his mission was confidential. "Bastien, thanks but sorry, it's... It's just a little scuffle. I'll get it sorted out. Nothing big, so you don't have to get involvedー"

"And you expect me to believe that? They tied you up and you could have died! I know that we haven't talked for a while, but I still care about you," Bastien replied, "Are we not friends anymore?"

"Bastien, for the last time, I can't!" Evan insisted, "This is different. And it's not because I don't trust you or anything.  _Laisse tomber!_  (Forget it!)"

"Evan...!" Bastien glared at him, more of from being worried than angry.

Evan made a gesture of zipping his mouth, folding his arms and before looking away with a pout. Bastien sighed.

"Why won't you tell me? It's not like you're on a top secret mission or something! You're just a construction worker for God's sake!" Bastien rolled his eyes.

Evan twitched a little at how close his friend got. Everything about his job was supposed to be kept hidden, for his own good and others' own good. He hoped that Bastien wouldn't pry... Nevertheless, his friend continued to push his luck.

"Okay, you know what, I get it that you can't tell me anything, but I'm still intent on helping you," Bastien said, "Just tell me the bare minimum and I'll make do with that."

Evan turned around and frowned at him, "Why are you so persistent?"

"Because we promised to help each other out when we graduated navy school together, remember?"

"...," Evan wanted to argue back, but then he remembered how loyal, or maybe 'stubborn' was the right word, Bastien was.

"You're getting yourself into something crazy...," Evan warned.

"We've done lots of crazy things together while you were around."

"..."

Bastien was certainly not backing down. Then again, Evan thought back on how he couldn't trust the navy nor the VSSE right now, the possibility of a traitor being in the ranks and all. On the other hand, Bastien had the skills as an ex-naval officer and he was certainly clean. If he was going to fight alone, he might as well use some extra hands. He most certainly shouldn't be spilling classified information to civilians, but well, he guessed that this was a special case.

" _D'accord_  (Okay), if you promise that you won't ask too many questions and that you won't tell anyone about this, I'll let you in a little. So... promise?" Evan asked, shifting over so that he was sitting at the edge of his bed.

"I swear on my entire existence. My lips are sealed," Bastien said. Evan nodded, glancing around before leaning in and saying in a hushed voice.

"We're in the middle of fighting a terrorist attack..."

At that, Bastien almost got a heart attack.

" _QUOI?!_  (WHAT?!)" he said in disbelief. Evan's face didn't look like he just was messing with him, though. Seeing that he was dead serious, Bastien asked for an explanation.

"What's it even about?!"

"Pirates trying to steal our naval weapons and ships. They had their hands on our two SSBNs right now. I was fighting them with my friend earlier, but I guess I'm on my own now. I think that there might be a mole in the navy."

Bastien stiffened, looking at the giant hurdle of difficult tasks that Evan had just piled up in front him. Evan certainly noticed his unease.

"How did you even get into this mess?" Bastien asked.

"Just an unfortunate construction worker seeing something that he shouldn't have," Evan said, evading the true answer, "But I have to stop them at all costs."

He glanced worriedly at Bastien's paralyzed arm before looking back up a him. "It's probably more dangerous than you think. Losing an arm's bad enoughーhelping me might cause you to lose more. This is your last chance to back down," he said earnestly.

Bastien hesitated a little. His right shoulder ached, the trauma of being hurt during a mission coming back to him. He thought that when he had quit the coast guard, he wouldn't have to ever deal with such horrible situations anymore, but he found that he couldn't just leave a friend in trouble all by himself. So he steeled himself and replied.

" _Je m'en fous!_  (I don't care!) I'd rather jump into the fire with you than watch you die alone pretending I didn't know shit!"

Evan took a deep breath, unsure whether he should feel thankful now that he had an ally, or if he should be worried about the sudden responsibility that had just been put onto his shoulders.

"Well... Alright. Thank you," Evan said, straightening up. He promised himself to make sure that Bastien stayed safe and alive throughout the mission. He can do this... Time to make Giorgio proud.

"I have a plan, but I might need some technological help...," Evan continued, "I don't suppose you're hacking-level good with computers and stuff...?"

"Well, no...," Bastien said in dismay, but then he looked up at Evan confidently again. "I know someone who does, though. And I'm sure you can count on her."

"...?" Evan lifted an eyebrow, "Who?"

"Désirée."


	5. Come with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Doing my best to make sure that the OCs don't take up too much of the spotlight and blow everything up. Glad that it seems to be pretty fine so far. Thanks to June, Noodle and Rainbow from Fanfiction.net for reviewing~ XD
> 
> \- Put 'Najac' into Google Images and see something pretty OuO

**【Chapter 5: Viens avec moi】**

_ー Viens avec moi. ー_  
_ー Come with me. ー_

_Gare de Najac, Aveyron, Occitanie, France 16:01_

It was a long trip to get from Paris to Najac, a small isolated village located in the south of France. After riding trains for over six hours, Evan and Bastien finally arrived at the Station of Najac. It had started drizzling on the way, and the rain continued to patter against the ground, raising the fresh scent of Najac's mountain soil and grass into the cold air.

Remembering how everyone said that Désirée had practically disappeared, Evan was worried that they wouldn't be able to find her at all at first. Luckily, Bastien still had Désirée's parents' number listed under her emergency contacts in his phone, so they had called them immediately.

Monsieur and Madame Garcia had been quite glad that their daughter's old friends had asked about her. It seemed that after her friends' death, Désirée had been pushing everyone away, before finally deciding to live in seclusion in hopes of recovering her mental health. Worried, Evan and Bastien had immediately expressed their wish to meet with her and try bringing her back. Knowing how close they used to be, Désirée's parents told them to look for her in the little village of Najac in the south of France, hoping for the best. They had left immediately.

Now at the Station of Najac, Evan stretched, trying to straighten his stiff back. A big, fat duffel bag that he had quickly retrieved from his own apartment in Paris hung heavily from his shoulder.

"So what's in there?" Bastien asked curiously, comparing Evan's stuffed duffel to his own light rucksack. "Now that I have a good look at it, it's not just travel snacks, is it?"

"A box of assorted cheese for Désirée. Thought we might as well bring something when visiting," Evan replied smugly.

"I don't think that just a box of cheese will stuff the bag like that. What else do you have?"

"You'll see in time," Evan grinned.

" _Bof_ , fine," Bastien said, reaching for his hip flask and taking a swig of some alcoholic drink. Evan frowned at him.

"Aren't you drinking a little too much?" He asked, recalling the number of bottles in Bastien's hotel room. He had his mission to worry about, but he'd certainly want to fix his friend's problems too while he was at it.

"Can't help it. Withdrawal symptoms," Bastien said.

"Heh, fine...," Evan said, but he held Bastien's hand down before he could take another swig, "Just make sure to keep reducing it until you stop. Take it as a request from a friend?"

Bastien considered it for a moment, a little unwilling despite knowing what was good for him. "Pff, okay," he finally said, fighting back against the need and screwing the hip flask shut, returning it into his bag. Evan looked pleased.

They stepped out of the station and looked out. Green mountains and lush forests surrounded them as far as their eyes can see. A wide dirt road laid in front of them, leading to a lovely little village up the trail.

Najac, having existed since the medieval times, looked very historical, quaint stone and timber-framed houses making up most of it as it laid on the mountaintop. The Royal Fortress of Najac, a well-preserved, still-standing fortress, sat at the village's highest point. The village itself was small, having a population of only around 700 to 800 people. Listed as one of the most beautiful villages of France, agriculture and tourism were its main source of income. The wide expanse of wooded areas unmarred by human hands that surrounded it gave it a breathtaking, picturesque view.

"Désirée certainly picked a place in the middle of nowhere, didn't she?" Evan said. He took a moment to breathe in the clean, fresh air, looking at his charming surroundings. "I can see why, though. Pretty place."

"Hope she's okay," Bastien said, "Remembering how social she was, I can't imagine her living like a hermit."

" _Bah_ , we'll see," Evan replied, taking out his folding umbrella and opening it, "If things are messy, we'll just have to make it right."

Bastien nodded, taking out his own umbrella. They left the station and started their hike towards the village.

* * *

_Marketplace, Place du Faubourg, Village of Najac 16:23_

Rain. The marketplace streets of the Place du Faubourg was quiet, with only a few people walking outside in the cold.

Désirée used to love rainy days because they were calm and soothing. There was always something lovely about sitting together in a warm place with a warm drink when surrounded by the muted grayness, enjoying the moment and feeling as though nothing else in the world existed or mattered. So when the grey clouds rolled in, she had always looked forward to it. But that was in the past. Now, she hated it.

Forced to go out in the rain to get some groceries that she had forgotten to buy for tonight's dinner, she stood in front of a large puddle, staring down at her reflection. Rainーthe wind, the sound of water, the ripples, the waves, the raging ocean... Her coast guard friends screaming for help before the storm swallowed them whole because she failed to get to them on time... The horrid scene replayed in her head once again.

No matter how far she ran, every body of water was a reminder of the incident. Water was everywhereーthere was no place to hide. She tried to believe that it was just a lie when her doctor told her that she had developed a case of aquaphobia. Swallowing hard to suppress her anxiety, she took a step back, carefully walking along the circumference of the puddle. Once she had passed it and looked up again, she couldn't believe her eyes.

Beyond that group of people there ahead of her, was that Bastien? And that young man looking around with him, it couldn't possibly be Evan, could it?

She stopped dead in her tracks. Bastien and Evan looked towards her and their gaze met. A second later, they seemed to have identified her. _Zut!_ She immediately turned tail and ran.

"Désirée!  _Attends!_  (Wait!) After her, Bastien!"

She heard Evan shout out, but she continued running. Oh, they must have come to scold her and blame her for everyone's deaths. The shame! She had no face to show after all the mistakes she did. They would most definitely laugh at her once they had seen how broken and pathetic she was. Taking a sharp turn, she ran into the alleys between the houses.

"Désirée!" Evan shouted as he continued running.

With Désirée being normally a cheerful and bold young woman, Evan had expected her to happily greet him and Bastien upon seeing them. But it seemed to have been otherwise, and she didn't look like she had any intention of stopping to talk to them. He looked at Bastien.

"Bastien, stop! Come this way!" He ordered, taking another route and disappearing out of sight.

Running one block ahead, Désirée turned to look, realizing that Bastien and Evan wasn't following her anymore. Had she lost them? She slowed down and stopped by the Monolithic Fountain at the center of the village, catching her breath and scanning the area behind her.

No one there?  _Super!_

Once she was sure of it, she turned, heading back towards her house quickly. Getting inside and locking the doors would certainly keep her out of their reach. She was just in the middle of perfecting that plan as she arrived at the residential area, only to find Evan and Bastien already standing there waiting for her.

" _Salut_  (Hi), Désirée!  _Ça fait longtemps!_  (Long time no see!) Thought you'd come home with your groceries and all," Evan greeted with a wide grin, box of assorted cheese in hand. "Look! I got you your favourite from Paris!"

"Nice to see you again, Désirée," Bastien followed.

Désirée shuddered like a helpless mouse cornered by two hungry cats. They were being friendly right now, but give them a few minutes, and they were sure to start interrogating her and tearing her apart about her failed mission, exactly like her dead friends' parents had. Wanting to cry just thinking about it, she looked at Evan and Bastien, then at her house that laid just beyond them, and then back at them again.

Deciding to get into her house at all costs, she rushed ahead with abandon, shouldering Evan out of the way and knocking the box of cheese out of his hand.

" _Nooon!_ " Evan grabbed at the box, saving it at the cost of crashing onto the wet, muddy ground below with a huge splash.

"Désirée!" Having only one working arm, Bastien had to drop his umbrella to grab her by the arm.

But being a trained ex-officer, Désirée didn't panic, calmly twisting around to knee her unsuspecting captor in the gut, before sticking her leg out to tackle him to the ground. She then took her chance to run towards her house, hurriedly taking out her keys and stuffing it into the keyhole.

"Désirée! Stop!" Evan yelled, running towards her with Bastien once they had gotten back to their feet.

Right before they got to her, she slipped into her house, slamming the door in their faces. Evan crashed hard against the door. Bastien crashed against him. They heard the door's lock click. Evan banged against its wooden surface.

"Désirée! Open up!" He shouted.

"Go away!" Désirée shouted back, her back against the door. "You're just wasting your time talking to me! I already know how horrible I am, alright? You don't have to make me feel worse!"

"I heard what happened from Bastien," Evan said. "I know that it was a terrible experience, but it wasn't your fault that the storm decided to be a little shit that day, alright? We're just here so we can talk like the old times, fun and all," he tried to convince her.

" _Tu mens!_  (You're lying!)" Désirée shook her head, sliding down to hug her knees. "Everyone said that I did itーour colleagues, their parents, their siblings... I don't even think it matters anymore whether or not it was actually my fault," her voice quivered as she sobbed. "That look in everyone's eyes... I don't have a place I can go back to, Evan,  _tu vois_  (you see)? I'd love to go back if I can, but I can't. I can't..."

Hearing that, Evan couldn't believe his ears about how cruel everyone had been. He looked to Bastien in disbelief.

"That's why she quit the job...," Bastien said sadly in a low voice.

"...," Evan turned back to look at the door dejectedly. It wasn't just all in Désirée's head like he had originally thought, after all. Life must have been quite a living hell if everyone around her was evidently stabbing her. He felt a little angry at the situation.

"How  _dare_  they?! You did your best! They should have been more supportive!" He said.

" _Non_  (No)...  _Non_ , don't blame them, Evan. They've lost their loved ones and I couldn't save them... If I can make them feel better by being their scapegoat, then...," Désirée said, defending them.

"..." Despite thinking that she was being too nice by letting people trample all over her, Evan understood what she meant. But still, he found that it was unfair and something had to be done. Sighing, he rested a hand against the door.

"Désirée... Other people might be mean to you, but Bastien and I, we won't. Ever. We'll gladly stand by your side even if the world's against you," Evan said.

"Everyone in the coast guard used to say that, too," Désirée sobbed, smiling bitterly, "With all the dangers we face, we were always so close. Look what happened... People break promises whenever it suits them. Isn't life just horrible...?"

"...," Evan stayed quiet, feeling a little of the hurt she felt. Bastien seemed to be at a loss for words too, wanting to help but unsure how. Evan sighed, leaning against the door.

"But we're special friends, remember? You know how we had always watched each others' backs since naval school... You have a special place with us and I'm not expecting that to change," Evan replied, smiling a little at the reminiscence. "We just want to see our old, cheerful Désirée back again. So please, trust us."

"...," Désirée didn't reply. Bastien and Evan stood there for a while, listening to her light sobbing and feeling a little guilty that they couldn't do more for her.

" _Voilà! Ils sont là, les hommes!_  (Look! Those men are over there!)"

Evan and Bastien turned their heads to look when they heard some villagers coming. It seemed that they had also brought with them a policeman. Apparently, seeing two mud-covered strangers banging at Mademoiselle Garcia's door in the rain had roused the neighbors' fear and worry.

" _Bonjour_ , messieurs. If I may know what seemed to be the problem here?" The officer asked as he stopped by in front of them.

The three villagers who had reported them stood behind the officer, eyeing them suspiciously. Evan glanced at the holstered gun at the officer's hip. Any form of running away wouldn't do them any good. Bastien hurriedly tried to reason with the officer.

" _Pardon,_  we're just here to see our friend, Mademoiselle Garcia...," he said nervously.

"These men told me that they saw you fighting with her," the officer said, unconvinced as he saw the mud all over them, "And if you're friends, why did she lock you outside in the rain?"

" _Euh..._ ," Evan bit his lip as he glanced at Bastien, not really sure how to explain. "It's complicated..."

The villagers gave them a judgmental look, folding their arms with an angry frown. The officer didn't look like he was planning to let them go either.

"I'd like you to come with me, messieurs. You have all the time to explain yourselves in the office," he said.

Evan and Bastien thought that they were in trouble. They were just about to get dragged away when Désirée's door opened.

"Monsieur,  _attendez_  (wait)," she said to the officer. Her face looked obviously like she had been crying, worrying the entire crowd.

"Mademoiselle! Is everything alright? What happened?" The officer asked with concern.

" _Oui_  (Yes), they're my friends," Désirée said. "I was just a little angry at them because... Because they haven't called me for a long time! I thought that they didn't care about me anymore...," she added, thinking up an excuse quickly.

" _Est-ce vrai?_  (Is that true?)" The officer asked doubtfully. Evan and Bastien stayed tense, as if they had nooses around their necks.

" _Oui!_ " Désirée said quickly, walking over in between Evan and Bastien and wrapping her arms around their shoulders. "But it's okay. I forgive them now." Evan and Bastien nodded frantically.

" _Bon_  (Alright)," the officer said, although he still looked at the two men with suspicion. "Well, messieurs, if you try to do anything funny, just remember that you'll end up with me. Have a good day," he warned, before nodding at Désirée and going away with the villagers. Once they were out of sight, Evan and Bastien let out the breath that they had been holding.

" _Ouf!_  That was close!" Evan said, letting his shoulders drop as he relaxed.

"What would we do without you!" Bastien said. Désirée laughed a little, remembering a similar scenario back in Navy School with their headmaster. Evan and Bastien were such troublemakers when they were younger.

They stood there for a moment, old friends reunited after two yearsーEvan and Bastien caked in mud from head to toe and Désirée with her makeup streaked messily down her face by her tears.

"Well, happy reunion! Aren't we in such a mess!" Evan laughed.

"At least we're together now," Bastien said, cheering up a little as he had mostly been only by himself for the past year. "Besides, compared to the mess Evan got us in when we tried to play Santa at the  _École Navale_  (Navy School), this is nothing."

"Don't remind me!" Désirée laughed. She looked at her two wet friends and back at her open door.

"Well, boys, why don't you come in?"

* * *

_Désirée's house, Najac 18:03_

By dinnertime, the three of them had finished cleaning up and settled down. It seemed that Désirée had bought herself a little house here and moved after quitting the Gendarmerie Maritime. Sitting in the dining room, Evan and Bastien looked around.

Four sets of computers sat in the study area, various other devices connected to them. Previously a mechanic and then an officer helping with mission control, Désirée's hobby of tinkering with the machines certainly hadn't changed. Evan and Bastien guessed that she probably worked from home with some online related things.

"That's right. How about you? What did you work as after you quit?" Evan asked Bastien.

"Bartender... For awhile, anyways. Right now? Unemployed," Bastien answered.

"Oh...," Evan looked at him, feeling a little bad, "Sorry."

Then Désirée entered the dining room from the kitchen, distracting the both of them with the smell of something delicious. She placed a dish of mashed potatoes, complete with ham, sausages and a salad, in front of each of them. Evan and Bastien brightened up immediately.

"Aligot, the local Aveyron dish of cheese blended into mashed potatoes. Najac's ham is a local specialty. I'm sure you'll love it," she explained, glad to have bought some extra when shopping earlier.

"Désirée, thanks! This looks lovely!" Evan grinned, "And oh! The cheese!"

Evan turned around, taking out the box of assorted cheese from his bag, "The box got a little wet earlier but thankfully, they have a plastic wrapping inside. Camembert, Mimolette, Brie de Meaux, Chaource and Crottin de Chavignolーa collection of cheese from northern and central France! I suppose you have some good wine to go with it?"

"Got that covered!" Bastien said, digging into his rucksack. "Here's a souvenir from me. It was really popular with the ladies when I bought it at yesterday's festival. Thought you might like."

He proudly took out a neatly ribboned, clear pink bottle from a box, placing it on the table. The shiny gold label read 'Vinrose'. Evan just stared at it with dead eyes.

_Anaïs Lavigne..._

A mental war concerning things Bastien and Désirée never knew about started in his head. Either way, Désirée seemed pleased at the cute design and colour. Evan supposed that it wasn't the wine's fault that Anaïs did what she did, so he brushed his thoughts under the carpet and quickly faked a smile, holding out his wineglass for Bastien to fill. And well sheltered from the rain and cold outside, they began their warm, hearty dinner.

"So what made you open the door? That was such a good chance to shut us out forever," Evan asked jokingly.

"You came all this way just for me. After seeing your persistence, I thought I might just... I dunno, give you a chance?" Désirée answered, a little hesitant. She looked at them curiously.

"But what's up, though? I doubt that you came all the way here just for a reunion. It's not worth all the effort trying to reach this village. Especially you, EvanーParis is so far away! And I'm sure you're supposed to be busy?"

"Seeing how you've changed from pushing us away to welcoming us at your dining table, I say that it certainly is worth the effort!" Evan laughed, knowing that she'd probably just ignore them if they had tried contacting her any other way. He sipped his wine a littleーA few points to Anaïs for having given it a lightly sweet and delightful fruity taste.

"And yes, we do have something we need help with," Bastien continued for him, deciding to get down to business, "A little sorry that it's a big favor, but we'd certainly love if you can hop on. Evan said that it would probably take only a few days at most."

"Big? Like what?" Désirée asked curiously, secretly hoping that Evan wasn't about to drag her into another of his pranks.

"Like saving the world," Evan said as a matter of factly. Désirée almost choked on her wine.

"Evan! What are you up to this time?!" She asked. Joking certainly had its limits.

"He meant it," Bastien said seriously, "The world's in danger. This might as well be a rescue operation."

"...," Désirée looked at him with a confused an unsure frown, before looking back to Evan. "If that's true, I'd certainly want to help, but I don't know... You'll have to look for someone else. What if I mess up again?"

"Désirée, I believe in you and I'm willing to bet everything I have that you'll make this work," Evan said, putting his wine glass down. "We're in a tricky situation and there's really no one else I can count on. We don't have much time, so I need you to decide quickly."

"...," Désirée looked away nervously. Evan and Bastien waited for her. She didn't know what the future held, but maybe this was her chance to make up for what she couldn't do in the past, so she decided to jump.

"Alright. Count me in," she finally replied, hoping that her friends wouldn't regret their choices.


	6. I'll give you everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally managed to put the party together and finish the story's setup. Now we can get rolling. Rejoice! XDD  
> (Doing various experiments with the fic as I write. Let's hope I can make it till the end smoothly :p)

**【Chapter 6: Je te donne tout】**

_ー Je te donne tout. ー_   
_ー I'll give you everything. ー_

_Le Fantôme, Unknown location 19:12_

In the cold night, dark clouds rolled, lightning flashed, and thunders roared. Wild gales blew viciously, whipping up monstrous tsunami-like waves across the surface of the ocean, striking deep fear into men. But to the sturdy steel hull of  _Le Fantôme_ , the uproar of the elements was nothing. Like the storm, she was the dark side of the sea, and she called the raging waters her home.

Gauthier l'Olonnais sat back in his comfortable armchair in the  _Fantôme_ 's captain quarters, completely unfazed by the rising and falling motion of his ship that would have made most other sailors sick. He took another sip from his bottle of Vinrose wine, savoring its taste. He would've enjoyed it from a proper wineglass if the sea had been calmer, but it seemed that she had wanted to dance tonight.

Gauthier himself had been occupied with work. Putting his wine bottle down, he spun the vintage globe that was fastened to the table in front of him, studying the crosses marked on it and perfecting his plans in his mind. He heard the door to his room swing open, slamming against the wall due to the sudden jerk caused by the waves outside.

"Gauthier!"

Anaïs was standing there, clinging to the doorframe and trying to maintain her footing with difficulty. The thunders roared. Despite all the shaking, she built up the courage to let go of her support and step in. Another wave crashed against the ship's hull, and Gauthier caught his girlfriend as she fell, holding her safely in his arms.

"Anaïs...," Gauthier said worriedly, "You should get back to your room. The bed's more comfortable there."

"But  _chouchou_  (darling), you're always busy ever since we've started this. I can't bear being separated from you any longer," Anaïs said, resting against Gauthier's chest miserably. She held her head then, feeling quite horribly seasick. Gauthier looked at her sadly. Flowers wilt in salt waterーthe rough seas wasn't suitable for such a delicate beauty. He caressed her hair gently.

"After this, things are just going to get more dangerous. I don't want you to get involved, so I'll drop you off at the next port. We can see each other again after this is over," he offered.

" _Non_ , Gauthier, don't," she said, holding his cheek, "I don't want you to bear all the weight by yourself. We're so close to succeeding. We can't miss this chance, and you'll need all the help you can get."

Gauthier hesitated a little. Even so, he was nonetheless impressed that the girl he had picked up from Médoc a few years ago had grown into such a tough lady.

He was just a reckless young pirate back then, continuing his ancient family tradition and wreaking havoc in the Bay of Biscay to the west of France, being a proud descendant of a true pirate from the Golden Age. One day, he had kidnapped Anaïs at the Côte d'Argent for her family's fortune, but they had unexpectedly fallen in love on board his little ship. So he had simply returned her unharmed, continuing to secretly meet up with her from time to time in the night to bring her gifts and share his tales of adventure. Despite him fearing that she'd disapprove of what he was doing, she never did, sharing his love for excitement and asking how he managed to get away every time.

She promised him her love, and he promised her the world. They would give each other everything.

Eventually, the chance to live their dream life presented itself when a certain mysterious woman in blue came to them with an offer. Seeing how Gauthier was an able captain and believing that he'd do well if he had the resources, she offered to supply him with a battleship and all the weapons he needed. In exchange, he'd have to offer his service as her right hand man in her plans of taking over the world. A chance too exciting and too good to miss, Gauthier had agreed, and here they were. He held Anaïs' hand in his.

"Anaïs, thank you... I'll make sure that we have a great marriage after this to make up for all the trouble," he said, smiling as he held her closer and kissed her.

Quietly watching the two lovers from the corridor outside the room, the mysterious hooded woman in blue smiled.

Well, her underlings can do whatever they want as long as her plans were going smoothly. It had been quite troublesome that the VSSE had sent their agents to mess with her, but luckily, the moles had done a good job at getting rid of them before they could do any real damage. She even managed to catch one of them as a bonus. Maybe it was time to check up on him and see if he could be of any use.

The woman smirked, leaving Gauthier and Anaïs to themselves as she walked down the corridor.

* * *

Meanwhile, tied to a metal chair fastened to the floor in one of the  _Fantôme_ 's cabins, Giorgio was feeling so awfully seasick he wanted to die.

The sea had calmed down and stabilized a little by now, but a few minutes earlier, he swore that all the shaking, rising and falling of the room was enough to make it some sort of theme park attraction, although being in it for too long would certainly be bad for health. It was as though he was going to get a heart attack every time the ship dropped with great speed after having risen so high with the stormy waves outside.

That aside, he had been here for a whole day. As much as he knew, Evan was dead. Drowned. He wanted to break down about it, but knew that he couldn't. Not until the mission was doneーHe couldn't let his guard down. Even so, he wondered what he could do tied up to a chair here. The ropes weren't loosening up no matter how much he twisted, so he thought of just trying to collect all the information he had so far.

Captured in Paris, he had been taken into a cargo ship that travelled up the Seine to the port of Le Havre, where he was then blindfolded and shipped off somewhere else. Before he knew it, he was on board the  _Fantôme_. Seeing how Anaïs was so organized during his capture, and how the enemy had so easily slipped through security check at Le Havre's port, Giorgio couldn't help but think that he and Evan had been set up. He jumped a little when he heard the door to his cabin suddenly open.

"Evening, Mr. Bruno. I hope the ropes are not cutting your circulation. Fufufu," the woman in blue chuckled as she entered, heels clacking against the metal floor. One could easily tell that she had a beautiful body line below her coat. Her red lipsticked lips and red nail polish stuck out from the rest of her blue clothes, giving her a seductive air. Giorgio narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the face under the hood.

"Well, pardon me, but have we ever... met? By any chance?" He asked, really wondering who this woman was now. Her English was devoid of any accent, and he couldn't pinpoint where she might have come from.

"Well... No," she said, stopping by next to him. Then she grabbed his chin roughly, tilting his face up to get a good look. Giorgio winced as his eyes met with one of her steel cold blue ones.

"But I've heard so much about you from a dear friend. You're certainly a lot more handsome than he had said you looked! What a pleasure to meet you~ Hahaha!" She laughed. Giorgio glared at her.

"Heh, sorry to inform you miss, but I'm afraid you've just shot yourself in the foot," he said, "Take us down, and the VSSE would only send in a more skilled agent. You could be dealing with our ace next."

"Oh!" She gasped, letting him go. "You can't possibly mean Mr. Miller, could you? How I've wanted to see him. I love playing with dangerous men~"

Giorgio stared up at her with a frown and wide eyes. That was itーthis woman was crazy! He was more worried that she knew even Richard's identity. A criminal this dangerous should be on the VSSE's blacklist to be eliminated by all means.

"But how unfortunate. Mr. Miller probably wouldn't be coming...," she said.

"...?"

"The VSSE didn't even know that their agents had fallen, after allーMy moles had made sure of that. To them, you're both still here, smoothly doing your mission. So they can sit back and relax... Until it's all too late," she snickered. Giorgio gritted his teeth. The woman put her hand to her chin and wondered a little.

"Hmm, but if that's the case, I probably won't have that much use for you as a hostage... But we'll seeーIf all else fails, you can always become one of my servants. Can't let this handsome face go to waste after all, am I right?" She asked, her bright red lips smiling dangerously as she caressed Giorgio's cheek. Giorgio pulled away from the cold, poisonous touch.

"Fufufu," she chuckled playfully, licking her fingertips, "I'll be seeing you, then, darling. For all I know, you're already mine~"

With that, she left the room feeling satisfied, closing the door behind her. Giorgio was left to himself, wondering what horrors were about to befall the world as they were left completely helpless.


	7. Together, we can do anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shudders as I look at the date*  
> Oh boy, this is taking lots of time to write ((OuO))

**【Chapter 7: Ensemble, on peut tout faire】**

_ー Ensemble, on peut tout faire. ー_   
_ー Together, we can do anything. ー_

_Marine Nationale Headquarters, Toulon 23:41_

Normally, there wouldn't be so many people around the Navy Headquarters at night, but considering the latest developments, everyone had been on edge. Many naval officers seemed to be pulling overtime to gather intel and look out for Gauthier's threats. There were twice to thrice as many men on guard duty around Toulon's port and the Navy HQ building.

On a street next to the Navy HQ, a white sedan pulled over. Its front seat window lowered, and Evan peered out. Car rides from Najac to Toulon took only 5 hours compared to the 7 hours by train, so Désirée had been kind enough to drive them there in her car. Bastien shifted in the back seat a little uncomfortably, feeling quite stiff from the long trip. Evan closed his window again, taking out his phone and checking it.

24 hours had passed since his supposed 'death', but not a single call had even been attempted by the VSSE nor Xavier to confirm his situation. So either the navy was deliberately turning a blind eye to the fact that he wasn't reporting, or someone in the VSSE's mission control had faked information that he and Giorgio were doing fine. Having cooked up some plans on the way, Evan turned to his friends to share his ideas. He also pulled up his fat duffel bag, much to Bastien's interest.

"Okay, so as I've said, there's most likely a traitor in the navy. Our mission would be to find out who it is," Evan explained, "They've wanted me dead, so if I suddenly step in there alive, they'd have to report that things hadn't gone according to plan. With any luck, tracking that particular report transmission would also lead us to the terrorist boss."

Bastien and Désirée listened and stared at him as if he was crazy. "Hold on, they wanted you dead? Did you get back into the navy while we were separated or something?!" Désirée asked worriedly.

"Not too many questions, Désirée," Evan evaded, "I'm really sorry that I'm asking the two of you for help without being able to tell you much. But please..."

Bastien and Désirée nodded quietly, deciding to confide in him. Evan thanked them.

He then took out a laptop from the duffel bag and booted it up, making sure to lock it so that only the necessary functions were accessible, before passing it to Désirée.

"Désirée, I need you to be our mission control. Bastien and I will try to bug the place and get into their system. Track any outgoing transmissions and check for any strange existing data."

"...Okay," Désirée nodded nervously, taking the laptop and getting it ready.

"As for you, Bastien," Evan said turning to him as he dug for more things in his bag, "Help me out there with the fieldwork, won't you? These are for you."

Evan passed an earpiece, a few magazines, and his trusty silver M1911 handgun into Bastien's hand, making his friend gape in surprise. Even so, Bastien supposed that Evan wasn't about to tell him how a construction worker came into the possession of such items, so he didn't bother asking.

"Cover me while I do my thing, would you? If all went well, you won't even have to pull that trigger," Evan said, putting his own earpiece into his ear.

This would be the first time he led a mission. He could only hope that his plans went well, at least until they've found the traitor. Bastien and Désirée noticed his nervousness, so Bastien spoke up.

"Hey, Ev, I really don't know the actual scope of this thing, and I know that you said you'll protect us, but still... It's not like we're completely helpless either, so we'll look out for ourselves and you don't have to take all the responsibilities. Nothing can stop us when we're together, right?" He said, punching Evan's arm playfully with a fist.

Evan couldn't help laughing a little as Bastien cheered him up. "It's nice that you're pretty confident! But really, thanks!" He smiled, thinking of doing his best himself, too.

"Let's go," Evan said, opening the car's door and stepping out, feeling more prepared.

* * *

At the Navy HQ's entrance, a few armed men stood as guards. They were surprised when a figure suddenly limped towards them, revealing himself to be Evan as he stepped into the light, looking horribly exhausted. The men ran towards him to provide support.

"Monsieur, are you alright? We thought that you were on your mission. What happened?!" The head of the guards asked.

"The missionーit was a catastrophe... I don't have time! I need to see Brig. Gen. Grégoire immediately!" Evan urged, asking for Xavier as he grasped at the guard's sleeves. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bastien successfully slip in while the guards' attention was on him, hidden in the shadows of the bushes and trees. The head guard called his men to report to Xavier quickly.

* * *

Later on, Evan found himself back in the Navy HQ's meeting room, waiting for Xavier with a warm cup of tea. He stared at the drink, wondering for a moment if it might be poisonous. He decided to just leave it alone, sliding his fingers under the table to stick a hidden mic there instead. Bastien came in through his earpiece.

"Stuck the bugs in the cafeteria, control rooms, and anywhere else some dubious conversations might take place. Snuck around and managed to get Désirée into the cameras. She's trying to use the network to break into the main system," he reported, "I'll be on stand by. Be careful."

"Alright, thanks. I'll call you again," Evan replied, hoping that Désirée would finish her job quickly. A moment later, the door to the meeting room opened, but instead of Xavier, an average coast guard officer entered.

" _Bonsoir_  (Evening), monsieur. Is Brig. Gen. Grégoire still going to take a while?" Evan asked, straightening himself.

"Well… Yes, I had just come to check on you," the coast guard replied, fidgeting a little. Evan noticed that he seemed to be a little nervous. "Not drinking the tea? It's going to get cold," the officer asked. Evan looked at it, but then shook his head.

"Thanks, but nah. I think I won't be able to sleep well later. You know, caffeine and all," he laughed.

"Oh," the guard said, seemingly trying to think up something. "It's a pretty nice imported tea, though. Pretty popular among the sailors. Maybe just one sip?" He offered again.

"If it's that nice, it's certainly bad to let it go to waste,  _hein_?" Evan asked, standing up with a friendly grin, "In that case, you can have it. Why don't you drink it for me?"

At that, the guard looked quite cornered, just as Evan had expected. "Monsieur Bernard, sorry about this, but this has to be done!" he said, before flicking out a combat knife and lunging straight at Evan.

"…!"

Evan dodged just in time, hearing the blade clash loudly against the wall behind him. The guard swung it at him again. Evan grabbed him by the wrist and used his momentum to pull him down to the ground with him, pinning him down.

"What in the world?! I thought we're supposed to be fighting on the same side!" Evan yelled.

"I don't want to do this either, monsieur!" The guard yelled back, terror in his face.

The guard grabbed the gun at his hip and unlocked its safety. Evan cursed, grabbing the pistol by its muzzle and bending it away before it could be pointed at him. With some grappling and wrestling, he managed to disarm the guard, using the chance to knock him unconscious. The guard fainted, and Evan let him go, standing up and wondering how strange the fight was.

He had found the traitor, but it seemed impossible that such a panicked and frantic man could have done everything by himself. Were there more? What did his last words even mean? Désirée's voice came in.

"Evan…? Evan! What was all that noise? Are you alright?"

" _Oui_  (Yes), just got a little dusty," Evan replied, dusting off his white jacket.

"Good," Désirée said, letting out a sigh of relief before hurrying again, "Listen, you've got to hear this! It's a transmission that had just come in a few minutes ago. Bastien's mic at the control room picked it up."

Evan tensed, "Show me." His earpiece buzzed as Désirée replayed the recording. Xavier's voice came in.

"Mademoiselle, it's Mr. BernardーHe's still alive. What should we do?" He asked, although his voice sounded rather tense. The laughter of a woman came in. It wasn't Anaïs' voice, but someone more bold and fearless.

"Well, that was extremely lucky of him to survive. But having you report it by yourselvesーsuch good boys. I guess I'll spare your lovely cities another day," she said happily. Evan bit his lip. Whoever this was, was she holding a few cities hostage and threatening the navy to work for her? The woman continued.

"Either way, I think it would be quite troublesome to get him to my place. Young cute boys are not really my type anyway, so I want him dead, you hear? Good. Report to me again when you're done. Fufufu~"

The transmission buzzed and Désirée's voice was back.

"Who was that?" She asked worriedly, "What's happening?"

"No idea," Evan said with frustration, "That's what we need to find out." He thought up a plan for a moment, before asking Désirée again.

"Désirée, you still with the cameras? Is capitaine still in the control room? I'll go talk to him. Let's be quick."

"Hold on," Désirée said, checking the screens before replying, "Yes, he isーWait! Some officers are heading towards your room with hand guns!"

Evan cursed. They must have come to check because their friend hadn't returned for a while. He panicked a little until Désirée called out to him.

"I'll set the cameras to loop a scene of the empty corridors. Follow my instructions and try not to get caught!"

"Counting on you!" Evan said, quickly slipping out of the room before the officers could reach him.

* * *

Following Désirée's lead, Evan managed to avoid the other officers patrolling the corridors as well. He had almost made it to the control room when Désirée warned him again.

"Guards coming from in front of you!"

Evan halted abruptly and turned back.

" _Attends_  (Wait), some more are coming up from behind you as well!"

" _Merde_ , where am I supposed to go?!" He cursed, frantically looking back and forth. Had he finally reached the point where he was supposed to mess up?

"Up!" Désirée suggested.

Evan looked up to see the grating of the ventilation shaft. Just how was he supposed to reach it and open it? The footsteps of the guards could be heard coming even closer as he raked desperately through the ideas in his mind. Just when he was about to give it up, the grating opened by itself, and Bastien stuck out his hand.

"Hurry!" He ordered in a hushed voice. Evan grinned with relief.

"I know I could count on you guys!" He said, jumping up to catch Bastien's hand and allowing himself to be pulled up.

They shut the grating just in time to avoid being spotted by the coming guards. Staying quiet for a moment there, they watched the guards walk out of sight, disappearing behind the turn at the end of the corridor. Bastien looked at Evan.

"Let's go, shall we?" he asked. Evan nodded, feeling quite glad. The two of them then went on their way and sneaked quietly towards the control room.

Despite Evan's initial worries, this mission might just go smoothly after all.


	8. I still love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much bullying ahead. Ufufu~

**【Chapter 8: Je t'aime toujours】**

_ー Je t'aime toujours. ー_   
_ー I still love you. ー_

_Marine Nationale Headquarters, Toulon 00:17_

Evan knew that Xavier was probably acting under the terrorists' threat, but still, listening to him talking about killing him like it was nothing hurt quite a lot.

Looking back long into his past, Xavier was practically the man who had inspired Evan to join the coast guard, back when he had courageously saved Evan from his sinking fishing boat when he was little. He had continued being a father figure to him even after that, teaching him, Bastien and Désirée a lot of things when they first became naval officers. Assigned on many missions together with Xavier leading the team, they had all gotten quite close, and the three called him their captain.

"Hey, you okay?" Bastien asked as he stopped in the ventilation shaft, looking back to check because Evan had fallen behind.

"Yeah...," Evan hurried forward to catch up, "Can't believe we had to fight against capitaine."

"Well, I dunno," Bastien said, "Maybe when we talk to him, he'd listen to us."

"Hope so! If he's even working with the enemy, the situation must be pretty tricky," Evan said.

" _Bah_ , I guess there's no other choice but to find out. Anyways...," Bastien said, reaching into his coat. He took out Evan's gun and magazines, passing them back to him.

" _Tiens._  (Here.) If we're moving together after this, you might as well hold it. I figure it'll be hard for me to reload with just one hand!" Bastien grinned.

"Well, sorry about that. Thanks," Evan said, taking it. "Just make sure to cover yourself properly in case the worst happens and a gunfight broke out."

"Got that," Bastien replied, and they went on their way.

* * *

_Control room, Marine Nationale Headquarters 00:21_

" _Mon général,_  it's Monsieur Bernard," one of the coast guard officers reported to Xavier, "He had disappeared from the meeting room and we're unable to locate him."

Xavier frowned, issuing his next orders. "I've asked for the exits to be blocked, send more people to look."

"Yessir!"

The rest of the officers in the room went to help. Xavier sighed. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Before he could think further on it, the grating of the room's ventilation shaft was suddenly kicked open, and Evan and Bastien dropped out of it.

"Evan! Bastien?!" He exclaimed, taking a step back and certainly not expecting Bastien to be there as well.

"Capitaine, it's over!" Evan said, pointing his gun at him. But despite his bravado, his heart was beating quickly and his hand swayed unsteadily. It was as if everyone in the room already knew that he wouldn't shoot. Xavier didn't even feel threatened.

"All these years and you're still so green," he said taking out his own gun and pointing it at Evan, unlocking the safety, "Letting your feelings get in the way is what's going to get you killed." Unlike Evan, Xavier's gaze was sharp, and his aim wasn't the least bit hesitant.

"Capitaine!" Bastien yelled, anxiously glancing between the two.

"Evan... I wish that you haven't been the one sent here for this mission," Xavier said a little regretfully.

"Capitaine, don't!" Evan tried to stop him, but Xavier wasn't listening. Without waiting another moment, he shot at Evan. Evan and Bastien ducked.

"Guards around the area coming at you!" Désirée warned from their earpieces.

"Shit!" Bastien cursed. The gunshot must have caught their attention. He quickly got up to turn the door's lock and push a nearby bookshelf to block it.

"Capitaine, stop! Can't we talk?!" Evan yelled, "Why are you even working together with the enemy?!" He evaded another of Xavier's bullets.

"The enemy would be foolish to have two SSBNs and not use it! They've been threatening the FSM and the Gendarmerie Maritime that they'd destroy Paris and Toulon with their missiles if we don't cooperate!" Xavier said, "We've been secretly investigating them behind their backs, and we just can't let you get in our way when we're so closeーDefying them right now would blow our cover!"

"And you'd kill Evan for that?! I thought we're almost like family!" Bastien snapped.

"You can't save everyone," Xavier replied gravely, pain in his voice. He stopped talking to them after that, focusing his shots on Evan.

Evan gritted his teeth, ducking again. He heard Xavier stop shooting to reload, so he took the chance to stick out of his cover and take aim. But even though he had such a clear shot, Evan found that he was unable to pull the trigger. Xavier finished reloading and shot at him again. He helplessly took cover.

A few gunshots were heard from outside the room as the guards shot at the door's lock, then trying to enter by shouldering the door. Bastien hurried to pile tables and other heavy objects over the bookshelf to form a barricade, holding them back.

"Evan!" He shouted frantically, "I don't think this would hold out much longer!"

Evan bit his lip. Knowing that he probably wouldn't shoot Xavier anyway, he locked his gun's safety and stuffed it back into his coat, rushing ahead while using the tables in the room for cover. But Xavier wouldn't let him get close.

Bastien toppled an entire locker in front of the door. Thinking that it would hold for awhile, he went to help Evan, catching Xavier by surprise as he tackled him from behind.

Xavier didn't let Bastien hold him down, elbowing him and twisting away. But by the time he got back up, Evan had closed in enough to grab his gun, pulling it out of his hand and tossing it away.

"Not good enough!" Xavier said without batting an eyelid, grabbing Evan's silver gun out of his coat.

"Shit!" Evan cursed, barely managing to dodge as Xavier unlocked the gun and shot at him. He didn't give Evan a chance to escape, grabbing him by the scruff of his coat and slamming his head against a nearby table.

"Capitaine! Please stop! You don't want to do this!" Bastien yelled, shouldering him down and holding onto him.

"I have no choice! You don't have to get involved in this too, Bastien!" Xavier shouted back, kicking him out of the way.

Evan was still trying to recover from his dazed state when Xavier knocked him over and pinned him down to the ground. He pressed the cold muzzle of his gun against Evan's forehead. Evan panted, gulping as he looked up in fear.

"Capitaine!" Bastien called out in horror.

"..." Xavier now only needed to pull the trigger, but at the last second, he hesitated.

Since the day Evan had joined the coast guard, Xavier had been the one to raise him. They had shared their joys and sorrows together, and he had watched Evan grow into a capable officer from the sapling that he was. It felt as though he was about to take his own son's life.

"Capitaine...!" Evan said desperately.

"Evan..." His voice quivered. He knew that if he didn't do this, the lives of so many more people would be in danger. He thought that as the leader of his forces, he'd be strong enough to overcome his heart. But he wasn't, and his finger hovered precariously over the trigger.

Bastien was frozen in the background, afraid that any wrong move would end in Evan's death. The banging at the door from the officers outside continued, reminding them that they didn't have much time. Xavier never felt more cornered in his life.

"Evan, they told me to kill you to save the others... I know that it's my responsibility to protect everyone, but this is unfair! What should I do?" He asked, eyes watering as he reached his limits. His grip on his gun faltered a little. "Tell me, Evan!" He demanded.

At that moment, Evan knew that they weren't a coast guard leader and a secret agent talking to each other anymoreーjust two close friends talking heart to heart. Slowly, he placed a hand over Xavier's, knowing that it was safe.

"Then you don't have to do this," Evan replied, continuing with determination, "An outcome where everyone is savedーI believe that it exists. I'll show you that it can be done!"

Xavier continued being hesitant for a moment. But trying to accept Evan's words, he reduced the strength in his grip, letting Evan guide the gun in his hand away safely.

"Evan...," Xavier said, a little touched as Evan's optimism reminded him of their time working together a few years ago. Probably a word of reassurance that he could stop being the enemy's puppet was everything that he needed to hear all along. Despite knowing that they weren't safe just yet, it was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

Still, what could they possibly do when the enemy practically had their fangs already sunken so deep into their throats?

"But how? Do you have a plan?" Xavier asked, finally releasing his gun and moving off Evan.

"We'll think up something," Evan said, locking his gun's safety. "When it comes to saving lives, nothing's too hard for us coast guards, right?" He grinned confidently.

Before Xavier could reprehend him about it, the officers outside finally managed to barge in through the door, the bulkier men having put in all their strength to shoulder it down.

" _Mon général!_ " They called out to Xavier frantically, thinking that Evan had cornered him and won the battle. "Don't move!" They continued, pointing their guns at Evan in unison.

Evan took a step back anxiously. Xavier stood in front of him to defend him.

"Stop!" He ordered the officers. The men halted, looking at him with worry and confusion. Xavier continued.

"It's alright now. He's not our enemy," he said, "We have a change of plans."

* * *

_Meeting room, Marine Nationale Headquarters, Toulon 01:12_

After things had settled down, Evan and Bastien were back in the meeting room. They were told to wait there as Xavier reported to the enemy boss, giving her some fake news that Evan had been killed. Just to be safe, Evan had told Désirée to stay in her car.

"You think this will work?" Bastien asked.

"Well, I suppose the boss will make more demands after she heard capitaine's report, so we'll see what we can do with that," Evan replied. He had asked Xavier in secret earlier about the VSSE's involvement in helping to fake reports, but apparently, they weren't involved. Good.

"The navy weren't able to track where the enemy boss had sent her transmissions from, though," Bastien said. "Their technology must be pretty advanced. Where are they getting it from?"

Evan worried a little about it. "Let's hope we can find out. Here they go," he said as their earpiece buzzed, Désirée letting them listen to Xavier's conversation.

"Mademoiselle, this is Grégoire reporting," Xavier said, "The target had been eliminated."

"Ooh! Such a good job and so quick, too! Haha!" The woman's voice came in again, sounding very pleased. "With this, now I don't have anything to worry about. But hmm...," she thought for awhile. "How can I be sure that he's really dead? What if he had surprisingly... 'survived'... again?"

" _Euh..._ ," Xavier made a troubled look, unsure how to get around it. But Evan saw it as a chance and bit hard immediately.

"Tell her that you'd send her my dead body!" He quickly told Xavier over his earpiece. Bastien looked at him incredulously. Under pressure, Xavier passed it on before he could process Evan's words.

"If it pleases you, we'll send you his dead body!" He answered quickly, before mouthing a 'What?!' once he realized what he just said.

"Oh! OOOHH! That sounds quite interesting! Ahaha!" The woman laughed, surprisingly entertained. Maybe she'd use Evan's body to torment Giorgio or something. She was beginning to get quite bored after all, what with her underlings doing most of the work. Why not spend her free time breaking some hearts?

"I like that. Why don't you put him in a pretty little box and ready it at Toulon's port? I'll ask my men to pick him up in the morning.  _À bientôt, mes amis!_  (See you, my friends!)" She said playfully.

And with that, she ended the transmission, laughing evilly.

* * *

A few minutes later, Xavier came into the meeting room to talk the plans over with Evan and Bastien.

"Evan! What have you gotten yourself into now? Aren't you always the reckless one?!" He asked.

"Désirée and I can't come with you if that's the arrangement," Bastien said, completely unamused.

"Well, we can't track them, so I guess jumping straight into the fire would be our best bet at even catching their tail!" Evan grinned smugly, thinking that he had just made the most genius plan. The other two looked at him worriedly.

"But that aside, capitaine, don't you have any clue about who the enemy boss might be?" Evan continued. "Be a lot of help if I can at least expect what I'm up against."

"Well, they've been threatening us and trying to steal our ships, but I assure you, we haven't been only sitting on our butts!" Xavier said defiantly. He took out some papers from his files. "We've been patrolling the ports 24/7 to look for clues. Most of the ships we marked as 'suspicious' seem to have this emblem painted on some of their cargo. They're always there like a bad omen wherever trouble happens."

He spread out some photographs on the table. "We have no idea what it is, though. Do you, by any chance?"

Evan and Bastien leaned in to check the photographs. Evan immediately recognized the round golden emblem, and his blood ran cold. Bastien noticed his friend's reaction.

"Evan, who is it?" He asked with apprehension.

Evan looked at him, remembering the atrocious things he had read about the criminal organization in the VSSE files. They were dealing with a big name among the world's illegal arms dealersーone not to be trifled with. His earlier smugness having vanished completely, Evan answered nervously.

"Kantaris."


	9. I believe in you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had fun writing this! XD  
> *rushes to post as much as possible during weekends* x'DDD  
> (This Monday's a holiday in Japan (Health and Sports Day).  
> And no, I'm not Japanese. Just living and working there at the moment :p)

**【Chapter 9: Je crois en toi】**

_ー Je crois en toi. ー_   
_ー I believe in you. ー_

_Marine Nationale Headquarters, Toulon 01:31_

Evan had asked Désirée to give him some time alone in her car, saying that he needed to make an emergency call. After double checking that no one was around to look at or listen to him, Evan opened the laptop that Désirée had returned, unlocking its other functions.

He then contacted the VSSE mission control. Despite the late hour, someone would usually be there to keep watch, considering the fact that the agents might require backup at any moment. A window opened in the laptop screen and Agent Sarah Martin came in, a warm cup of coffee in hand. She looked very happy to see him.

"Oh, Evan! Evening! Nice of you to do the reporting for Giorgio for once! How you've grown!" She greeted cheerfully, placing her coffee down on the table. "So, did you finish your mission? Brig. Gen. Grégoire told me that it was going terribly smoothly. Good job! It was a big mission, so we're already planning a party for when you return!"

She gave him a thumbs up, completely oblivious to what was actually happening. Evan gasped in horror at how relaxed the VSSE seemed to be due to the misinformation.

"Sorry to break it to you, Sarah, but actually... We kind of have a situation," Evan said stressfully.

He proceeded to explain everything about the latest progress and Kantaris' involvement, making Sarah gape as though a tsunami had just crashed and wiped out her entire beach party.

"All that and you didn't tell me?!" She yelled in alarm. "And Giorgio. He's... heー," she stuttered, beginning to sob.

"Disappeared!" Evan interrupted, finishing the sentence for her. He gulped down to hold back his own tears.

"I don't know. I don't want to think that he's dead. I won't until I see his dead body with my own eyes!" Evan continued stubbornly, although he knew that 'disappearing' in their line of job would often be exactly the same as death.

"Yeah... Yeah. You're right," Sarah replied quickly, sniffing as she wiped her tears away with her sleeve. Evan pressed the back of his hand to his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. Once he had, he looked at the screen again. Sarah had also collected herself.

"Okay, I'll report the situation to the Director. Do I send you some backup?" She asked with concern, but Evan refused.

"No. The moment they figure out that we had sent in more people, they'd level Paris and Toulon," Evan replied. "A little difficult, but we're thinking of handling this by ourselves for now. I might need your help to clean the mess up later though, so I'll send you the details of our plans after this."

"Evan...," Sarah said worriedly, holding her hands together.

If it was true that they were up against Kantaris, Evan was biting much more than he can chew. Kantaris herself was considered a dangerous, S-class criminal, usually assigned only to the best of the best among the VSSE's senior agents. Even the VSSE's ace and legend Agent Richard Miller himself had failed to catch her every time. What chance does a junior agent stand?

"Will you be alright?" Sarah asked, desperate for reassurance.

"...," Evan curled his lips in, knowing that he was basically challenging death. Nevertheless, he nodded.

"Of course! I'm Giorgio's apprentice. What do you expect?" He said confidently.

Behind the façade, he secretly felt as though he was trying to convince himself with his own words.

* * *

_Harbor, Toulon 04:15_

Having taken only a short nap, Evan had to wake up early to get ready. Kantaris had asked for his 'body' to be left at one of the docks in Toulon's harbor at 4:30 a.m.ーquite early before the sunrise, so her men can take it away easily without being noticed.

Désirée's car pulled over a little away from the docks, in an open area hidden behind a pile of shipping containers. It was their rendezvous point with Xavier, and sure enough, Xavier was already there waiting for them with his men and a huge crate. Evan took his duffel bag and stepped out of Désirée's car with Bastien, approaching them. Désirée lowered her car window and watched her friends from there.

" _Bonjour_ , Evan!" Xavier greeted.

" _Bonjour_ , capitaine!" Evan greeted back, grinning as he looked at the giant crate next to him with interest. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked. Xavier nodded.

"We want you to be comfortable, so I got you something that I think you'd like," he said. The two coast guards standing with Xavier moved over and opened the crate. Evan and Bastien peered in, and Evan's face lit up with delight.

A simple but charming, pure white coffin laid neatly in the crate, its side lined by ornate golden handles. Its open lid showed a clean and comfortable set of cushioning inside, promising a comfortable rest.

"Capitaine,  _je t'adore~_  (I love you~) This looks so sweet!" Evan said excitedly, pumping his fists. Xavier puffed his chest out proudly, happy to have made the right choice of coffin. Bastien didn't even know how to react. From his third person's point of view, the situation they were caught in felt rather macabre no matter how he looked at it.

"So... How're you going to do this?" Bastien asked. "I'm sure Kantaris' men would check to make sure whether or not you're actually dead first, before shipping you off."

" _Ne t'en fais pas!_  (Don't worry!) I've taken that into consideration, too," Evan said smugly, digging into his duffel bag again.

That smug, overconfident grin. Bastien smelt trouble, but he was interested in what Evan had come up with nonetheless.

"That's really a magic bag, isn't it?" He asked, watching Evan curiously as he wondered what impossible object would come out next. Evan pulled out a little pink glass bottle, a clear liquid swaying ominously inside it.

"Love potion?" Bastien made a wild guess.

"No, silly," Evan said, laughing a little at the notion. "A drug for suspended animation. Something similar to induced hibernation in simpler terms," he explained, trying to remember how Giorgio had explained it to him when he was still a new kid.

"Basically, I take this and my body's functions slow down close to a complete stop. To anyone, I'd look as though I'm completely dead. Our slang term for this drug is 'Juliet's Potion'."

"Well... Now _that's_  convenient," Bastien said, glad that they had such a useful item at hand. "You sure that it's safe, right? I mean, prolonged inactivity of bodily functions can cause brain and tissue damage, I've heard..."

At that, Evan froze. Bastien and Xavier waited for his reply expectantly.

"Well... Dunno. Never tried it, but I guess that if it had passed lab tests, it should be safe... Right?" Evan attempted. A sorry attempt. The other two glared at him, completely unconvinced.

"Sir, it's almost time!" One of Xavier's men warned, looking up from his watch.

"Guess I'll just have to trust my suppliers!" Evan said, taking off his duffel bag and passing it to Bastien. "Bastien, I can trust you with never opening this, right?"

"You have my word!" Bastien replied quickly, slinging it over his shoulder.

" _Bon. Merci!_  (Good. Thanks!)" Evan said, patting him on his arm. He

then opened the bag's front pocket, taking out a silencer and a bullet, passing them to Xavier.

"Capitaine, this is a GPS bullet. You said that the enemy ship's untraceable because they always sail into stormy areas. So with this, we should at least get an idea where they are, even if they block the signal on the way. Intel would be provided to you through Désirée's laptop."

Evan paused, glancing at his crate before looking back at Xavier. "They'd probably check the crate for any devices, so shoot this into the crate  _after_  they finish the check up. Maybe at the docks when they're loading their cargo, so the noise would cover up your gunshot. We only have this one bullet, so try not to miss."

"Alright," Xavier nodded, taking the bullet and loading it into his pistol, fastening the silencer. "Trust me with this."

"Thank you. I'm counting on you," Evan said. He felt a little nervous to be the one giving operation orders, but he supposed that he couldn't stay a 'junior agent' forever. He turned around, taking a deep breath and readying himself.

"Well... Off I go now," he said, climbing into his coffin with his drug.

"Evan!" Bastien called out, feeling a little worried now.

Evan seated himself comfortably in the coffin, feeling a little awkward about the arrangement. After this, there'd be no turning back. He tried not to think of all the ways things could possibly go wrong. Popping off the lid of the pink bottle, he looked up at Bastien one last time.

"Haven't done anything this crazy for awhile," he chuckled, "But don't worry, Bastien, I'll be fine!"

Behind Bastien, Evan saw Désirée look at him worriedly from her car. Evan's smile melted away, and he sighed as he spoke in a more serious tone.

"Bastien, if I don't come back, you know what to do. Cheer everyone up for me, alright?"

Bastien didn't want to think about it, but the possibility of the worst case scenario and an unwanted outcome must be accepted, so he nodded. "Yeah. You don't have to worry about that."

Evan smiled in relief, "Thank you."

He turned around after that, settling down and holding up the pink bottle in his hand. "Here goes, then."

Closing his eyes, Evan downed the clear liquid in one go. For one moment, everything was normal, but in the next, the world suddenly swayed as his head felt as heavy as an anchor. He felt a burning sensation tear through his entire body before his temperatures began to slowly drop far below normal.

_"Evan...! ーan...! n...!"_

Bastien's alarmed voice echoed in his head. He wasn't sure whether he had heard it or simply imagined it. He could hear his own heartbeat slowing down as his eyelids drooped heavily. At one point, he thought that he had completely stopped breathing, and his consciousness eventually faded away altogether.

Bastien quickly grabbed Evan as he swayed to the side, catching him. Evan's skin was pale, and he felt so cold in his arms, neither breathing nor showing any signs of life. Despite Evan's earlier explanations, Bastien found himself immediately panicking.

"Evan...? Evan!" He called repeatedly, shaking his friend's limp body a little. Xavier held him by the shoulder with a firm hand. Bastien turned to look at him anxiously.

"Bastien," Xavier said firmly, "We have to trust him. Believe in him."

"...," Bastien hesitated a little, before finally nodding in agreement.

He carefully lowered Evan gently into the coffin with Xavier's help, taking out the potion bottle and folding Evan's hands neatly over his stomach. Evan's peaceful, vulnerable and pale complexion looked as though he was really lifeless.

Bastien looked his friend over worriedlyーEvan had certainly stepped further and further down dangerous territories during the two years they hadn't met. He could only hope that his friend's luck in getting out of trouble still remained with him.

Praying for the best, he slowly closed the lid of Evan's coffin.


	10. Come back!

**【Chapter 10: Reviens!】**

_ー Reviens! ー_  
_ー Come back! ー_

_Control room, Le Fantôme, Unknown location 9:17_

"Up to 90% of the world's trade is carried by sea. If we have the sea, we essentially have the world. Fufufu~," Kantaris chuckled from under her hooded coat, folding her arms as she stood in the  _Fantôme_ 's control room. She seemed to be pleased with her work as she reviewed her latest progress.

"Heh, seems that someone knows the sea's charm," Gauthier said, leaning back. "Not your average method of world domination, but I guess it worksーno one's expecting it. Doubt anyone else can pull this off if they don't have your resources."

"Of course! And you've been a great help, Gauthier. I hope you'd continue the great work. Ohoho~," she laughed, knowing that victory was already in her hands.

Gauthier had been an able captain, just as Kantaris had expected. No matter how many men she asked him to command, he seemed to be able to manage them with ease. She might have spent millions to provide him with this one grand battleship, but he had returned her investment tenfold, capturing many smaller battleships and eventually, two SSBNs. One of the two missile submarines had been used to hound a part of the French Navy into cooperating with them. As for the other one, though, she had grander, darker plans.

"Gauthier, dear, would you look at that...," she asked breathlessly, opening a window on the huge computer screen in front of her.

The window showed the second submarine being taken apart at one of the Kantaris Organization's secret bases. Engineers, mechanics and technicians moved about busily as they noted their studies, making blueprints of the submarines and missiles to be readied for mass production.

"It won't be long until the blueprints are ready. And with a lot of these submarines, I can basically hold the entire world hostage!" She exclaimed happily, unable to hold back her joy as she envisioned the fruition of her perfect plan. A blush crept to her cheeks as she hugged herself and swayed. "Aahh, just thinking of my new toys makes me feel hot~"

Gauthier winced a little. His boss might be a little over the top, but he supposed he could put up with it since she was so competent at her job. He turned back to his screen, working on the next task Kantaris had entrusted to him.

She'd supply him with a bigger fleet, and he was to position them worldwide to ambush and capture every country's military vessels for the keeping. The preparations were almost ready and he smirked. This was going to be a lot of fun.

* * *

_Corridors, Le Fantôme 9:19_

"Move along!" One of Gauthier's gruff pirate men ordered impatiently as he pushed Giorgio's shoulder without care. His one friend standing next to him laughed. Giorgio frowned, fighting back the urge to shout various unholy curses at them.

Giorgio, along with two bulky pirates, were just on their way back to Giorgio's room from the  _Fantôme_ 's canteen, right after the pirates had forced several pieces of bread down his throat and he had finished with any toilet business. Being captured at the festival, Giorgio was still in his expensive tailored black suit, hands safely cuffed behind him. He hated seeing how soiled his favourite suit was by now, but he hated the men walking with him a hundred times more.

The mysterious blue lady, having wanted to 'play' with him as she had said it, had told the men to keep him alive. But much to Giorgio's dismay, she had forgotten to ask them to treat him like a proper human, and these two bullies seemed to have taken advantage of that. The pirate on his right joined his friend in bullying him, smacking Giorgio's shoulder so hard he almost fell over.

"Cut it!" He snapped, glaring at them. They just laughed.

"Whatcha gonna do? Summon good ol' Davy Jones?" One of them teased.

"He's so unlucky he should get himself a cat! But I bet even the cats think he's a lost cause! Hahaha!" The other one joined in.

Giorgio didn't reply, knowing that he'd go nowhere. He decided to quicken his pace instead, thinking that getting to his room meant that these two idiots would finally leave him alone. The pirate on his left grabbed him by the shoulder.

"What's the hurry? Ya don't have anything to do until the Lady comes to see you, anyway. Have fun strolling with us," he grinned evilly.

"She's coming  _again_?!" Giorgio asked, frightful dread clearly oozing out of his voice.

"Of course. This time with a gift!" The other pirate smirked, "In fact, it had already been delivered to your room!"

The way the man said it, Giorgio knew that it couldn't be anything good, but curiosity got the better of him. "What... sort of gift?" He asked, despite being sure that he wouldn't want to know the answer.

"Ooh, I think they caught your friend or something. Hehehe!" The pirate replied with a snicker.

 _'Evan!'_  Giorgio wanted to think that it was him, but then he was reminded that Evan was dead. His heart sank for a moment, before he pulled himself back forcefully to consider the situation. Did the VSSE send in another agent?

"Was that captive... okay?" He gulped, daring himself to ask.

"Look forward to it!" The other pirate grinned, nudging him. "I can tell you that his sleeping face is pretty as a mermaid's. Hehehe!"

Giorgio felt rather nervous now. Who _is_  this? But as he continued walking with the pirates, something about them struck him.

Davy Jones, lucky cats, mermaids... Could these two by any chance be highly superstitious? He had heard that sailors have the tendency to be. If these two were, then he might just have a chance at distracting them and escaping. Glancing at the handcuff key hanging from the belt of the pirate to his left, he decided to give it a shot. After making sure that the corridor they were walking in had no one else in it, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, why d'ya stop suddenly? Move it!" One of the two pirates scolded.

"Oh, it just suddenly struck me," Giorgio said, making up a worried tone, "I thought bringing a woman on board was bad. You brought two! Pretty ones, too. You sure some calamity wouldn't suddenly strike your crew in a few days? Maybe... in a few hours?" He continued.

"W-Well... We'll be fine! This ship's a battleship! It's sturdy and all!" The pirates replied, one of them knocking twice on the walls to prove his point. Giorgio noticed the nervous, shivering forms beneath their made up confidence all to well though, and he smirked in his mind.

"Well then, how about this?" He asked as he gently made a soft but long, clear whistle. Both pirates grabbed at his elbows frantically. Whistling was thought to bring about destructive storms, and Giorgio was secretly pleased that both his pirates were behaving just as he wanted them to.

"STOP! Ya wanna die?!" One of them asked in alarm.

"Oh, that's nothing compared to what I heard yesterday," Giorgio made up, "The guys patrolling in front of my room were whistling up five whole songs last night. Guess they got bored standing around."

The pirates were fear stricken, he can feel the panic building up in them as they began arguing and blaming their friends for future misfortune. Seeing that they had completely forgotten about him, Giorgio took the chance to lift up his leg and perform a spinning kick, hitting one of the pirates in the head and knocking him out immediately.

"One," he said calmly.

"Hey!" The other pirate protested, reaching for his gun. Giorgio wasted no time in shouldering him against the wall, knocking all the air out of him. His foe dropping to the ground and still in a disoriented state, he added a finishing kick to the side of the man's head.

"Two," he ended, putting his foot back down neatly as his enemy dropped to the floor unconscious. "Shouldn't have put your guard down around a trained agent."

Looking down both sides the corridor, Giorgio made sure that the coast was clear, before bending down immediately to procure the handcuff keys from the pirates. He held it towards his wrists and hurriedly unlocked his handcuff, letting the metal constraint drop to the ground.

'How good to be free!' He thought to himself as he rubbed his red wrists.

"Now...," he looked down the corridor towards his room. The pirates said that they had captured a friend. If it was indeed another agent, then rescuing him might just give him that little extra chance of getting out of here.

Stuffing the handcuff key into his pocket and taking the two pirates' guns, Giorgio ran down the corridor, chasing his single ray of hope like his life depended on it.

* * *

Once he arrived at his room, Giorgio made quick work of the guards patrolling in front of it, carefully hiding their unconscious bodies. The area secured, he barged into his room, expecting to see a bruised up agent being tied up to a chair like he had been. Naturally, he was thoroughly surprised when what he found instead was a pure white coffin.

Immediate shock followed in the next moment, various questions attacking his head all at once. Does the coffin contain the captive? Did they kill him? Who is it? Giorgio had never felt such pressure for some time. He knelt down in front of the coffin, his fearful hand shivering as he ran it along the smooth, white wood.

It was looking at a Pandora's boxーhe knew that opening it would only bring misery and despair no matter which agent laid inside, but he had to know. Gulping, he brought himself to open the coffin's lid, and his eyes widened in astonishment.

There laid neatly in the pristine cushioning was Evan.

The always cheerful and healthy look was completely gone from his face, replaced by a limp lifelessness and a deathly pale countenance. His body laid completely stillーunmoving, not breathing.

"Evan...," he said, his frown deepening as he put his hand on Evan's cheek, gently brushing his hair aside. He was so cold.

When it finally dawned on Giorgio that his friend would never open his eyes again, it felt as though an entire building had fallen upon him with all its crushing weight. It was one thing to force himself not to get distracted in a mission, but seeing Evan's body in front of him was another matter altogether. He felt a sudden loss of control, and the walls he had painstakingly put up crashed and burned. His eyes watered against his will.

"Evan...," he called out desperately, sobbing as he pulled Evan's body into his arms, gently leaning against his head.

Having lost many who were dear to him, each time Evan had successfully survived another mission, Giorgio thought that the young man would be able to probably outlive him. But just how many people were the heavens planning to rip away from him? Feeling broken by the cruel fates, he swayed there with Evan in his arms, unable to let go as he sobbed to himself quietly.

He had forgotten that he was in the middle of a dangerous situation. For all he knew, the blue lady could come at any moment and shoot him, but he found that he didn't care. His partner was the only thing that mattered now.

"Come back...," he cried, burying his face into Evan's chest. He was so deeply drowned in his sadness that he didn't notice Evan stirring a little.

The effects of the drug slowly wearing off, Evan took in a slow breath as his heart began to beat again, circulating the blood in his system and returning the warm colours to his face. There was a heavy lethargic feeling, as though he was an animal who had just woken up after a long period of hibernation. When most of his senses finally came back, he felt someone holding him. Expecting it to be one of the enemy men almost gave Evan a heart attack, but to his surprise, it was none other than his long lost partner.

"Giorgio...?" He said in disbelief. Giorgio looked up, face streaked with tears and the most miserable look in his eyes. The moment he realized that Evan was still alive, he recoiled, jumping back and standing up.

"Whatー?!" He stood back, unable to contain his surprise. Evan just tilted his head and smiled his bright innocent smile at him.

"Juliet's Potion," he grinned mischievously, and Giorgio felt as though he had been had by the mean trick.

"You IDIOT! I thought you were dead!" He exclaimed, frantically trying to wipe the tears off his face. He felt his cheeks heat up for accidentally showing his vulnerable side.

"And you didn't see anything!" He warned. Evan only stood up and gave him the tightest hug, happy tears flowing down his cheeks as he cried in joy.

" _Tonton!_  I knew you're still alive! Iー... Iー...!" He was unable to continue as his emotions flooded over. Tightening his hold, he could only cry into Giorgio's shoulder as he let the relief wash over him. Giorgio studied him quietly, rubbing his back a little to comfort him. He couldn't tell how happy he was himself, but he was just glad that things had turned out better than he had expected and feared. Content with their reunion, he pulled away gently.

"Well, Evan, you can tell me what happened later. First, we must get out of here!" He said hurriedly, worried that the blue lady and some guards might be on their way. He took out the two guns he had taken from the pirates earlier and gave one to Evan, readying the other for himself.

Wiping his tears away, Evan grinned at Giorgio, taking the weapon and being excited that they could fight together again.

"Let's do this!"


	11. I'm lost without you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, with some new life goals, now I'm handling work, this, one personal project, and 2 studies in the background.  
> Pray that I don't go crazy and explode in the middle from all the multitasking ;u;  
> If only I can either make copies of myself to help, or get some more time on my hands... Aaaaaa -panics-  
> (Updates might turn slow, but I'll do my best to keep up! Agent Lilium's a strong girl~!)

**【Chapter 11: Je suis perdu sans toi】**

_ー Je suis perdu sans toi. ー_   
_ー I'm lost without you. ー_

_Le Fantôme, Unknown location 09:43_

Evan said that the GPS that had been sent with him would have given the VSSE their location. The model he used had been a particularly accurate oneーthe latest model that had also been the favourite of senior agent Robert Baxter. If everything went well, help should arrive any minute.

Giorgio was surprised when Evan told that Kantaris was at the root of this mess. But then again, if it weren't for the Kantaris Organization's cutting edge technology and resources, such a huge ship like the  _Fantôme_  wouldn't have remained undetected or even existed in the first place.

Well, if the VSSE and the French Navy could locate this ship and surround her, Kantaris would have nowhere to escape. Still, Giorgio thought that if they could have their contact with the VSSE mission control back, it would indefinitely boost the chance of Kantaris' capture as well as their own survival. So they had headed towards the storage room where Giorgio's things had been kept when he was brought here. Giorgio having remembered the path there, he led the way.

The guards seemed to have been alerted of his disappearance from his room, so there were many of them patrolling around. Evan and Giorgio slid stealthily through the corridors to avoid them. As they walked, Giorgio listened to Evan's explanations about how he had survived and got there.

"I thought I've told you never to use Juliet's Potion when you're alone!" Giorgio reprimanded. It was simply too dangerous. Anything could have gone wrong if there was no one to watch your back while you were completely out cold. To make him even more alarmed, Evan had even dared to come in here barehanded.

"Well, there wasn't any other way...," Evan replied, looking away as they continued walking, "The dose I took lasts for only 5 hours. The plan was to wake up after passing all their checkups, and then give them a whack in the face. I successfully got in here, right?"

Giorgio stopped and turned towards him, looking at Evan in horror, "What if they had cut you open and used your body for research or something?! They could've even shot you one more time while you were out just to be extra sure. You'd be dead for real and you wouldn't even know!"

"But at least I'd have been successful in telling the others about this ship's location!" Evan argued as he glared back at his partner, trying to defend himself, "It would've been a worthy sacrifice. We need to take risks, tooー"

"EVAN!" Giorgio cut him angrily. Evan froze.

"You came in here without any escape plan, didn't you? So you're back to thinking that it's okay to throw your life away as long as the mission's successful and more lives are saved. Do you know that that's the exact reason why you're always so reckless?"

Evan averted his gaze, fiddling with the hem of his jacket. He felt cornered with nothing he could use to argue back. It was a silent admittance of his fault, and Giorgio's frown melted into a look of disappointment.

"When I saw that you managed to get in here, I thought that you could take care of yourself now... But of course, reckless as ever. Can't believe that you haven't changed one bit despite all my warnings," he sighed, turning around.

"Stick with me, and don't you _dare_ get separated again this time," Giorgio warned, walking ahead. He had just freshly experienced a what if scenario of Evan's death, and he was certainly not looking forward to experiencing that pain again, ever. So he swore in his heart to protect his partner with everything he had.

Evan reached out as if he wanted to say something, but he pulled back again, looking to the ground dejectedly. He only wanted to make Giorgio proudーlook what happened. Maybe he wasn't ready to be a proper agent yet, after all.

Head hung low, he followed Giorgio silently.

* * *

_Storage room, Le Fantôme 10:12_

After quickly taking care of the guards posted near the storage room, Evan and Giorgio hurriedly entered, finding Giorgio's things on a table. Thankfully, his earpiece, gun and phone sat there mostly untouched.

Pocketing his phone, he took his gun and started up his earpiece, trying to establish contact with the VSSE mission control. He and Evan waited worriedly as it buzzed a few times.

"ーllo? Can yー ...ar me? ...ーgio! Is that you?! This is Sarah!" Giorgio heard as the noise slowly cleared up. Relief washed over both of them when the connection was successful.

"Sarah! This is Giorgio reporting. I'm fine and well," he replied, glancing at Evan before continuing, "I'm with Evan in the enemy ship right nowーhe's alright as well. He said that he was sent here with a GPS. I'd like to confirm if you have our location."

"Giorgio... Evan...!" Sarah almost cried with joy when she found out that her colleagues were safe. She put her feelings aside for now, quickly supplying them with a quick update.

"Yes. Evan had successfully planted the GPS in the ship. You seemed to have stopped in a misty area hidden among the uninhabited islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Following the trail that Evan's GPS had set up for us, we also found the secret route that they had taken to reach there. We're currently discussing how to best capture the enemy with Brig. Gen. Grégoire."

Giorgio glanced at Evan again, who was twiddling his fingers nervously as he couldn't hear the conversation, seemingly worried that everything had gone wrong. Giorgio returned his attention back to Sarah. She continued her briefing.

"Currently, we're working on cutting their signals so that they can't send any orders to their stolen SSBNs from there. Brig. Gen. Grégoire and the French Navy had kept some of their ships on stand by, ready to move in to surround the enemy once we're done. Give us a few more minutes," she said, "The only thing that we're worried about right now is Kantaris escaping before we get there, considering how slippery she is."

"You could be right on that," Giorgio replied, thinking for a moment before replying, "Well, you have two agents in here with perfect health. We'll do our best to hold her in place until you arrive."

"Got that! You're such great help!" Sarah exclaimed, "I'll inform you again once we've dealt with the signals. Keep an eye out for that."

"Roger that," Giorgio affirmed. Finished with the conversation, he turned back to Evan, who was practically curled up into himself as if he was awaiting some sort of punishmentーmuch like a helpless schoolboy who had just been called to the principal's office.

"So... Did it... Did my plan work...?" He asked nervously.

"Too late to be asking that, don't you think? Carry out plans only if you're at least 90% sure that they're going to work. We're not doing suicide missions!" Giorgio berated, making Evan cringe.

The glassiness of Evan's eyes looked as though he was trying not to cry for having blundered so much. Giorgio felt a little bad for him since he had actually tried his best. Maybe he had stepped a little over the line, so he looked away and sighed, folding his arms.

"Well, while I can't really commend you on how you've carried it out, at least we seem to be getting somewhere. So I guess I'll give you some credit for effort."

"R-Really...? You would?" Evan brightened up a little, wiping away at his eyes.

"Yeah. Just brush up on your strategies," Giorgio said, turning to look at him, "Either way, I'm reeducating you back from square one about the basics of being an agent when we get back."

" _Bof._  Whatever you say~," Evan said, rolling his eyes with a shrug. At least Giorgio was with him now, so the rest of this mission would certainly go smoothly. He was just so glad that he wouldn't have to worry about being lost again. Straightening up, he listened eagerly as Giorgio passed him Sarah's update and told him what to do next.

They were just about to exit the room and look for Kantaris when the door to the storage room suddenly opened, and Kantaris herself, still with her hooded blue coat, entered with some of her bodyguards.

The room being so small with nowhere to hide, Evan cursed, quickly dropping into Giorgio's arms to play dead. From Evan's earlier explanations, Giorgio knew what he was up to, also fearing that Kantaris would shoot her missiles the moment she realized that Xavier had been lying to her. So he played along, thinking that he'd have to keep this up until Sarah finished her job.

Seeing Giorgio upon her entry, Kantaris clicked her tongue, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Why, Mr. Bruno, you've been a very, very bad boy."


	12. I know you well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *is barely alive*  
> Doing my best to keep up with everything that's spinning around me in real life (because I'm trying so many new things) XDDD  
> My whole life's a stormy sea this year. Since August, I've been clinging onto a raft for dear life while being helplessly tossed up and down by monster waves DDD:  
> Much adventure and new experiences, though. Let's see if it'll bring me some fruit next year!
> 
> On the other hand, this particular fic is horribly hard to write due to its complexity and multiple subplots. (One wrong move, and you have an almost unfixable gigantic plot hole!)  
> Stay strong and finish it off, Lilium! (We're not even at the 2/3 point! Almost, though~) x'DDD

**【Chapter 12: Je te connais bien】**

_ー Je te connais bien. ー_   
_ー I know you well. ー_

_Storage room, Le Fantôme 10:31_

"Why, Mr. Bruno, you've been a very, very bad boy," Kantaris said, shaking her head disapprovingly. Giorgio glared at her. She noticed Evan's 'body' in his arms and smirked.

"I see that you got your new 'gift'! How do you like it? Too bad I wasn't there to look at your face when you opened the gift box. Ohoho~," she laughed.

"How  _dare_  you!" Giorgio snapped back.

"Aww, he must be pretty important to you, considering you bothered carrying him all the way here with you although he's dead. How cute~," Kantaris teased.

Giorgio gritted his teeth. Evan might keep up his perfect pretense that he was dead, but truthfully, he was terribly nervous. If Kantaris figured out that he was still alive before Sarah finished her work, everyone would be done for. Giorgio decided to do his best to stall for time. They just had to hold out a few more minutes.

"Dead or not, there's no way I'm leaving my partner here, especially not with rotten people like you!" He barked angrily. "And I'm getting out of here myself!"

Kantaris only laughed, "Oh, Mr. Bruno, it'll be good if you'd stop resisting. The world would be mine soon enough, so this would be the best place you can hope to be. Why don't you just give in and work for me already? Hahaha!"

This was her lair, and she knew that Giorgio would be practically powerless against her by himself, so she might as well play a little with him. Little did she know that she had bitten the bait, and Giorgio was the true victor.

"In your dreams, you old hag!" Giorgio bluffed, continuing to stall, "There's nothing you can say that would convince me. I don't work for people I don't consider worthy."

"Oh, is that so?" Kantaris gasped, feeling a little offended at being looked down upon.

She walked towards Giorgio. Giorgio took a few steps back until his back was pressed against the wall. Feeling a little frantic with no escape, he quickly held Evan to his side, burying Evan's face in his chest to reduce the chances of Kantaris seeing him breathing. Kantaris stopped in front of him, hands at her hips.

"This is really a choice that you'd regret," she said with a warning in her tone.

"You've already taken my friend from me. What more do you want?" Giorgio asked with desperation.

"Your  _'friend'_?! Hah!"

With a quick swing of her hand, she gave Giorgio a hard slap across the face, causing him to drop Evan to the ground. Evan bit his lip to avoid making a sound as he crashed face down. He felt Kantaris' boot digging into his back.

"He couldn't even fend for himself! Don't you think that the world's going to be better off without these weaklings?!" Kantaris asked impatiently, grinding down on Evan's back with her heel, "I've heard stories of how competent you are. I'm simply ridding you of the chains that have been binding you!"

Evan winced. Giorgio quickly thought up a retort.

"He might still be green, but I believed in him," he replied. He glanced down at Evan, before continuing earnestly, "He trained under me, and I knew him well. I know what he was capable of. If you had let him live, he would have accomplished great things!"

"..." Despite having to pretend to be dead, Evan felt a little moved. He wondered for a moment whether what Giorgio said was just a made up bluff or the truth. He'd certainly like it if Giorgio really felt that way about him. Either way, Kantaris didn't seem happy at all.

"Well, that's too bad. He's dead now, so you can forget about him and move over to my side," she said disapprovingly, "Look how he's still troubling you even after he's dead. If you had moved alone instead of carrying him, you'd probably have escaped by now. This uselessー"

She bent down to grab Evan by the hair. "No...!" Giorgio reached out reflexively, but it was too late. With the sharp pain caused by Kantaris forcefully pulling him up, Evan grunted involuntarily. Utterly shocked that the 'dead body' suddenly moved, Kantaris dropped him again with a gasp and jumped back.

"YOU! You're still alive?!" She exclaimed, aghast.

Clearly busted, Evan quickly got up to his feet, standing beside Giorgio.

"Told you he's better than he looks," Giorgio felt the need to say, folding his arms as he looked at Kantaris. Evan shrugged, nevertheless giving Giorgio an apologetic look for blowing his cover, "Sorry...!"

"Youー The navy...! LIARS!" Kantaris shouted in anger. Grabbing a device from a pouch at her waist, she held it up threateningly, "I'll make you pay!"

"Shit!" Evan cursed as he dived at her immediately, knocking her over and throwing the device out of her hand. Kantaris' four bodyguards immediately pointed their guns at him, but were hesitant to shoot for fear of accidentally hitting their boss.

Seeing their distraction, Giorgio took advantage of it, taking out two of the guards. He quickly took cover behind the room's storage boxes as the other two shifted their attention to him and began to shoot. Kantaris kicked Evan off herself, turning around to grab her device. Evan grabbed her by the coat.

"Stop disturbing me, you fool!" She warned. With a quick spin, she drew out a knife-edged hand fan, swinging it at Evan.

"Whoa...!" Evan barely managed to evade it as he fell back. Kantaris dived for her device, grabbing it successfully.

"Got you now!" She shouted victoriously, ready to send her orders. "With this, Paris and Toulon will be leveled to the ground! I'll teach you not to mess with me!"

" _Non!_ " Evan yelled in panic. Giorgio, having just finished disposing of the remaining bodyguards, turned to look, only to be terrified by what he saw.

But naturally, Kantaris was without mercy, immediately pressing down on her devices' button. Evan squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the worst as Kantaris' laughter rang through the room. They were all done for and it was all his fault for being so useless.

"...?"

However, to his surprise, a beep was heard from Kantaris' device and her laughter stopped. Evan dared himself to peek, watching her grin twist into a scowl.

"WHAT?! What do you mean 'failed'?!" She asked in alarm, pressing the button on her device over and over again frantically. "Send the signal!"

"Giorgio!" Sarah's voice came in from Giorgio's earpiece, "We did it! Kantaris shouldn't be able to send outgoing signals from there now! I'll get Xavier to start sending in his men. Hang in there!"

They had won. Relieved by Sarah's words, Giorgio pointed her gun at Kantaris confidently, "Looks like we're one step ahead of you."

Realizing that their plans had worked, Evan smirked, straightening up and pointing his gun at her as well, "We've also got you surrounded. It's over, Kantaris. Turn yourself in!"

Kantaris seethed in anger, seeing how they had managed to mess up her perfect plan so badly. Even so, she wasn't about to simply give up.

"So you found out who I am. Guess I won't be needing this anymore," she said. With a quick swing, she threw off her hooded blue coat, revealing her long silver hair and slender form. Clad in a charming little blue dress, her sharp, icy eyes were those of a merciless goddess.

"Just because I can't send a signal outside, doesn't mean that I can't send it within this ship! Eat this!" Kantaris retaliated, pressing another button on her device with a smirk.

"...?!"

A moment later, a loud alarm was suddenly heard throughout the ship. Kantaris had sent an emergency warning to all her men. A stampede of footsteps could be heard as all the guards in the area ran down the corridor to gather inside the room. They readily protected Kantaris and pointed their guns at Giorgio and Evan.

There were so many of them that Giorgio and Evan knew immediately that trying to fight back would be futile. Being the one in power now, Kantaris stepped forward fearlessly.

"My dear gentlemen, it's great that you managed to get this far, but I won't let you get in my way," she threatened.

"Heh, even if you kill us now, our colleagues won't let you escape," Evan retaliated boldly, "Your plan is no more!"

"Silence!" Kantaris interrupted, "You, Mr. Bernard!  _You_  are going to tell me a safe route out of here! Right now!"

"As if I would!" Evan glared at her. Giorgio watched her cautiously.

"Oh, we'll see about that," Kantaris smirked, never losing her cool. Borrowing a pistol that one of her guards was holding, she walked forward. Stopping in front of the two agents, she held it up, pointing its muzzle dangerously at Giorgio.

" _Tonton!_ " Evan gasped in horror. Giorgio frowned, teeth gritted.

"I had made the right choice to keep you alive, after all! Ahaha!" Kantaris laughed proudly. Satisfied with herself, she looked back at Evan with a sharp glare.

"Yes, Mr. Bernard. Your answer, if you please."


	13. I don't want to leave you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story's 2/3 point nicely passed! Just a little bit more...!

**【Chapter 13: Je ne veux pas te quitter】**

_ー Je ne veux pas te quitter. ー_   
_ー I don't want to leave you. ー_

_Storage room, Le Fantôme 10:43_

"Yes, Mr. Bernard. Either you tell us how to get out of here safely, or I shoot Mr. Bruno dead in front of your eyes!" Kantaris threatened with a wicked smirk, gun pointed at Giorgio.

Giorgio glared at her. Evan held his breath and stiffened, unsure of what to do with the sudden difficult choice. It was as if Kantaris knew that it would be so much easier to make him talk compared to Giorgio. He felt cornered.

"Evan! For once, make the right choice!" Giorgio urged, "We can't let her escape!"

"Butー," Evan tried to protest.

Not bothering to wait, Kantaris shot Giorgio in the thigh, making him cry out in agony as he dropped to one knee.

"Giorgio!" Evan knelt down to hold him.

"Next, it'll be his head!" Kantaris warned, "We don't have all day here. I'll give you three counts! Three!"

"Evan! Don't try to play hero and save everyone!" Giorgio hissed angrily.

"You'd do the same for me!" Evan objected.

"Two!" Kantaris said impatiently.

Evan gasped, looking at her in terror. It felt as though everything around him had stopped, and he was trapped in this one, choking moment.

"One!" Kantaris continued with a sadistic grin, finger pressing down slightly on her gun's trigger.

"WAIT! Stop!" Evan stopped her, holding Giorgio closer protectively. "Alright... You win. I'll tell you the route," he said in surrender. Kantaris laughed.

"Heh, I knew you'd cooperate," she said, holding back her gun victoriously before ordering her guards. "Tie them up!"

* * *

_Le Fantôme 14:21_

A few hours later, Giorgio and Evan found themselves tied up in their respective chairs back in the cabin where Giorgio had been kept captive. The bullet in Giorgio's leg had been removed and the wound had been bandaged, but their situation was far from favorable.

After draining all the information she needed out of Evan, Kantaris had worked with Gauthier to successfully ram the  _Fantôme_  through the weakest spot of Xavier's fleet, wrecking several ships with their cannons in the process. Kantaris had also found out about Evan's GPS, making sure to remove it. It was lucky enough that Evan had managed to convince her not to shoot her missiles at Paris and Toulon if she wanted his cooperation.

Even so, Kantaris, slippery as she was, had managed to escape yet again, the  _Fantôme_  disappearing into the fog and out of sight. Thinking that she could drain more information out of both Evan and Giorgio in future, she had decided to keep them alive for now. The closeness shared by the partnered VSSE agents may pull them out of many troubles, but Kantaris knew exactly how to use that same closeness against them, keeping them as each other's hostage.

So despite being endlessly glad that Giorgio was well and alive next to him, Evan was left wondering if he had made the right choice. He glanced at the white coffin that still sat open in the middle of the roomーa reminder that all his plans had blown up, and that he had worked so hard and come here for completely nothing. So far, dancing obediently in Kantaris' beautiful, manipulative hands was all that he had managed to accomplish.

Giorgio sat silently next to him. Evan didn't know whether he was angry at him, disappointed, or just didn't know what to say or think. Probably a little of all of them. Whatever it was, he couldn't let go of the feeling that the entire mess was all his faultーand Giorgio said that he had believed in him, too! If only he had come in here with a better plan...

"Sorry...," he apologized, looking to the floor.

"Feeling bad about it won't fix things now," Giorgio replied, "Think of how we can get out of here."

"Okay...," Evan said quietly, feeling even heavier. Giorgio noticed that he had probably taken it the wrong way.

"Hey, Evan," he called. Evan looked to him, uncertainty and guilt in his eyes.

"Things mess up, alright? I don't blame you for what happened," Giorgio told him, "After all, people learn best from mistakes. This is your first time doing everything by yourself and you did your best, so I'm pretty sure you'll improve."

"But  _tonton_ , I just keep making irreversible mistakes one after another," Evan said, rather unsure, "I just let our S-class criminal escape for God's sake! Can you believe it?"

"Well, dwelling on them would only cloud your mind. Focus ahead on what you can do about it," Giorgio advised, "Besides, I'm here. Let's think up something together."

Evan smiled, cheering up a little as he felt reassured, "Alright!"

Shortly after he said that, the metal grating of the cabin's ventilation shaft was kicked open. The grating fell onto the floor, surprising the two of them. Following that, Bastien dropped himself into the room with a huge backpack.

"Bastien?!" Evan exclaimed. Giorgio knew the name and recognized him as one of Evan's friends.

" _C'est moi._  (That's me,)" he said, dusting his clothes off and rushing to untie Giorgio and Evan.

"How the fuck did you get here?" Evan asked in disbelief, despite being glad.

"Saw that things aren't going according to plan when this ship came at our fleet's weak spot in particular. Mademoiselle Martin said that you're both still alive from what she heard from Monsieur Bruno's mic," Bastien explained, "So despite Capitaine's orders, I just grabbed one of the motorboats and hopped on. He's going to be so pissed."

"Well... Maybe I'm going to be pissed, too!" Evan exclaimed as he got up from his chair once Bastien had untied him. "What are you thinking jumping in here by yourself?!"

"Well, unlike you, I think ahead about how to get back out, you hypocrite," Bastien reprimanded in good humor, "And this time,  _I_  have the magic bag."

"...?" Evan and Giorgio leaned in to look.

Bastien opened his backpack and took out two sets of earpieces, Evan's handgun, and another pistol, passing them to the two agents. "Extra ammo in this bag, if you need. I brought my own GPS with me, so we're still secretly tracking this ship. Désirée and Mademoiselle Martin will continue helping us," he said.

Bastien readied his own handgun and took out a USB before continuing, " _Bon_  (Well), so here's the plan. Mademoiselle Martin had located the ship's control room for us, so we get there and stick this into their computer. If we're lucky, we'll figure out where they're hiding the SSBNs and get them back. If we're luckier, we'll buy enough time for Désirée to hack into the system and hijack this entire ship. Sounds good?"

"Sounds good!" Evan said, impressed, "We'd better go quickly, then!"

Bastien nodded. They were just about to climb back up into the ventilation shaft when they noticed that Giorgio was having a lot of difficulty just trying to stand up due to the wound in his leg.

"Evan... I'm afraid I can't come with you," Giorgio said.

" _Tonton_...! What are you talking about?!" Evan asked, rushing there to support him and help him up. Giorgio grimaced in pain at the slightest movement of his leg.

"Monsieur Bruno!" Bastien called out worriedly.

"Forget it," Giorgio replied. "I'll just slow you down. Leave me here and finish the job quickly. If you actually managed to stop Kantaris, she wouldn't be able to touch me anyway," he convinced.

"Giorgio...," Evan held on, not wanting to leave him.

"...," Bastien debated in his head, knowing that they'd better move quickly to avoid being discovered.

"Fine! We'll make sure to get the job done, monsieur!" He finally said, heading over to the cabin door's digital security lock. "Désirée, can you lock this down and make sure that no one gets in while we're away?"

As Bastien fiddled with the lock system following Désirée's instructions, Evan was panicking. What if things went wrong again and he ended up losing everything? More than that, he wasn't sure if he could make the right choices without Giorgio around. His breathing quickened as he looked into Giorgio's eyes nervously, desperately seeking help. Being pushed into a dark, uncertain future all by himself, he didn't even notice the tears spilling out of the corners of his eyes from the overwhelming fear and worry.

Then he felt Giorgio's warm hand on his cheek, thumb gently rubbing away his tears.

"Evan, you'll be fine," Giorgio assured, "You're my partner and apprentice, remember? I wouldn't bother keeping you around and teaching you if you sucked that bad."

" _Tonton..._ "

"I got the door locked down," Bastien said, "Evan! We need to go."

"A bird needs to learn how to fly," Giorgio said, pulling away. "Go now."

Despite his insecurities, Evan nodded lightly. Wiping the rest of his tears away with his sleeve, he looked back up at Giorgio with determination.

"We'll stop Kantaris and come back for you!"


	14. I'll do my best for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I can actually write 3 chapters a day on weekends, but somehow, I always ended up finishing only 2. (3 in the afternoon till 9 at night always felt like a drag with me.)  
> Need to improve concentration and efficiency... :p

**【Chapter 14: Je ferai de mon mieux pour toi】**

_ー Je ferai de mon mieux pour toi. ー_  
_ー I'll do my best for you. ー_

_Le Fantôme 14:57_

"You look horrible," Bastien commented offhandedly as he climbed through the ventilation shaft with Evan behind him.

"Sorry," Evan replied, "It's just... I feel like the only thing I've been doing so far is to get pushed around. I totally shot down everyone's expectations..."

"Hmm? Is that so?" Bastien asked, "Well, let's review, shall we? If you haven't done anything, Désirée and I probably wouldn't be here helping you. Capitaine would probably still be controlled by that woman. And I don't know what's up with you and Mademoiselle Martin, but she wouldn't know that something had gone wrong, either."

"...," Evan looked up at him a little hopefully.

"When you look at the greater scheme of things, I don't think any effort you put in had gone to waste," Bastien grinned back at him, "The last step is probably the hardest. Try not to give up before you finish the mission. Where's the fearless, overconfident Evan that I knew?"

"Bastien...," Evan smiled a little.

Having Giorgio by his side to think up all their strategies for him all the time, Evan had gotten used to leaving it all to him, probably to the point of forgetting that he could also do things by himself. But as Giorgio and Bastien had said, perhaps he should give himself a little more credit, so he cast aside any shadow of doubt, glad that he was in such supportive company. The least he could do was to do his best for them.

"Fine. Watch me!"

* * *

_Bridge, Le Fantôme 15:03_

In the  _Fantôme_ 's bridge, Gauthier drove his ship.

They had escaped Xavier's fleet, but he'd certainly love to put in some extra distance between them just to be safe. The authorities might have discovered one of their secret bases, but they had others. A storm was brewing ahead of him, but that was barely any trouble for his ship, so he sailed ahead. Unfortunately, another problem had to present itself.

" _Capitaine!_ " One of his men blurted as he stumbled into the bridge. We have an intruder! They had sealed off the control room!"

"What?!" Gauthier exclaimed, "But howー?!" He stopped, not bothering to waste time think about it. Deciding to take action immediately instead, he turned to his second in command.

"Drive this ship and warn Mademoiselle Kantaris. I'll go and deal with them myself!"

* * *

_Control Room, Le Fantôme 15:07_

"Doors locked," Bastien said, scanning the control room once again to make sure that they had really taken everyone out.

"USB plugged in," Evan confirmed, reloading his gun, "Now we just need to guard this castle until Désirée and Sarah finished their job."

There were some banging against the room's metal doors as the guards outside attempted to barge in. But with the security that the thick doors provide, they couldn't breach through it. Still, Evan and Bastien knew better than to let their guard down.

The doors kept them safe for a few minutes, until the guards got smart. The next moment, three of the  _Fantôme_ 's pirates dropped in from the ventilation shaft where Evan and Bastien had entered from. Evan cursed, engaging them immediately. They had certainly figured out that roundabout route much faster than he'd have liked.

After taking out the pirates, Evan shouted at Bastien, "Can't we block that shaft?!"

But he had barely finished his sentence when the other three shaft gratings of the rooms were forced open, more pirates coming in.

"I don't think we have a choice!" Bastien replied.

" _Tonton!_  Your ventilation shaft grating! Seal it!" Evan warned Giorgio before joining Bastien to fight the pirates. Before they knew it, Gauthier entered the room from one of the shafts.

"You again!" He exclaimed when he saw Evan.

"Shit! Certainly not someone I'm looking forward to seeing again," Evan commented.

"Well, at least now I can deal with our unfinished business at the  _Charles de Gaulle_! I won't let you escape this time!" He said, drawing out his cutlass and Beretta.

Evan evaded a slash aimed at his neck. They traded a few shots. Evan backed away and kept his distance from him, taking a moment to study his surroundings. Bastien seemed to be holding Gauthier's underlings back for him pretty well. The USB however... Evan quickly shot down a pirate trying to unplug it, inadvertently gaining Gauthier's attention.

"Hah, so I just had to take that thing out? Got that," Gauthier said, spraying some bullets at Evan to force him to take cover.

During the distraction, Gauthier ran towards the computers, unplugging the USB immediately. The loading bars that had appeared on the computer screen stopped as a huge red 'Cancelled!' appeared across them.

"Put that down!" Evan yelled.

"Oh, you're done for now!" Gauthier smirked, ready to destroy the USB using his gun. Luckily, Bastien came to shoulder him to the ground. Evan dived in to snatch the USB out of his hand.

"Safe!" He said, plugging it back in and seeing the loading bars start anew.

Gauthier knocked Bastien off of him and went after Evan again. Evan grabbed the pile of files and papers on the table beside him and threw it at Gauthier, pulling out his handgun to start firing at him once more. Bastien saw more pirates come in from the ventilation shaft, doing his best to keep them away from Evan.

"There's no end to them!" Bastien yelled.

"Sarah! Faster!" Evan urged as he took cover. Sarah thankfully replied soon after.

"We're in the system! Proceeding to hijack!"

"Thank you!" Evan yelled back over the gunfire.

He and Bastien continued to hold Gauthier and his men back for a little more. Just when they had run out of ammo, they felt a sudden jerk, and the  _Fantôme_  stopped moving entirely. The main computer screen buzzed and Xavier appeared.

"To the crew of the  _Fantôme_ , this is the Gendarmerie Maritime speaking. We've taken over your system and are right behind you. Surrender immediately!" He ordered. Evan and Bastien beamed at their success.

"...," Gauthier couldn't believe that his enemies actually managed to get to him. "You...!" He glared at Evan angrily, raising his cutlass.

Evan flinched, taking a step back. But then, there was suddenly another strong jerk, as if something had suddenly rammed the side of the ship with a great force, knocking everyone off their feet.

" _Mon général!_ " A naval officer rushed into Xavier's room, "The storm had reached us and the waves...! Our smaller ships won't be able to support us!"

"What?!"

Xavier thought of securing the  _Fantôme_  quickly before things get worse. However, the waves that the storm brought in was much larger and stronger than what everyone had expected. Evan held onto the fastened tables and felt the ship rising and dropping at a greater height with every movement. One of the side computer screens flicked on and the pirates manning the bridge came in.

"Capitaine l'Olonnais! Huge rocks ahead! We can't control the ship!" They reported, showing what was seen from the camera at the bridge.

"...?!" Gauthier flinched when he saw the wide, towering wall of rocks ahead.

Normally, such a storm wouldn't be a problem for the  _Fantôme_ , but with no one being able to drive it and just letting it drift wildly was another story. He grabbed Evan by the collar hurriedly.

"You! Do something about this!" He ordered as the waves continued to toss the ship dangerously, quickly dragging it towards the rocks.

"You don't have to tell me!" Evan said, frantically contacting Sarah. "Sarah! Give them back the controls!"

"On it!" She hurried. Everyone in the  _Fantôme_  waited in horror when they realized that they had been caught in a strong current.

"System's back!" Sarah reported immediately. Evan passed it to Gauthier.

"Good!" He said, letting Evan go as if he had forgotten that they were enemies, now that everyone's lives were at stake. "Get moving!" He ordered his men.

Xavier's fleet had stopped a little further away behind them, not wanting to risk getting caught in the current as well and colliding with the  _Fantôme_. Xavier watched with tension as the enemy ship stopped drifting and started moving to the side, trying hard to maneuver out of the current that dragged her.

"Come on...!" He prayed.

Meanwhile, Giorgio had heard all the transmissions loud and clear through his earpiece, fearing what would happen. Holding on tightly to whatever he could grab onto in his cabin, he glanced at the wound in his leg, hoping for the best. If the ship actually collided and started sinking, there was no way he was getting out of this alive.

The  _Fantôme_  continued to struggle endlessly against the elements, thunders roaring and the storm lashing roughly against her. Another giant wave hit her on the side, pushing her right back into the current.

 _'Warning! Collision!'_  The ship's sensor system warned as the alarm in the bridge beeped continuously.

"We're not going to make it!" The men at the bridge yelled, working desperately at the ship's controls.

Now very close to the line of rocks, the rocks scraped against the side of the  _Fantôme_ 's hull, but that was barely the main worry. Everyone in he control room went pale and aghast when they heard the morbid, long screech of the bottom of the ship's metal hull, dragged mercilessly against the sharp underwater rocks. It turned louder and louder with every passing second, until it became a gut-wrenching, full blown tearing sound.

"We have a breach!" Gauthier's men reported in panic, "Water in the lower levels!"

In the distance, Xavier watched in horror as the  _Fantôme_  slowly began to sink.


	15. I'm there for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, juggling 5 things at once was a horrible idea! I give up! x.x  
> (I ended up having too many things to do that I couldn't concentrate on any of them. Before I knew it, I was panicking, the whole month's gone, and I've finished nothing! TuT)  
> I'm thinking that I'll just finish this first to clear the table, and then I'll reduce some work load and rearrange my schedules so it's actually manageable :p

**【Chapter 15: Je suis là pour toi】**

_ー Je suis là pour toi. ー_   
_ー I'm there for you. ー_

_Le Fantôme 15:38_

"What in the world is going on?!" Kantaris asked her subordinates angrily.

First, she had been told that there was an intruder in the control room, and now, they were sinking after crashing against some rocks. She looked out of the window next to her at the thunderous storm clouds and frowned. Escaping in one of her helicopters was certainly not an option. She clicked her tongue in frustration, turning towards her subordinates.

"Prepare the emergency submarine. We're getting out of here!" She ordered.

"But Ms. Kantaris! What about Captain l'Olonnais and the rest of his crew?" the guard asked, "We can't fit in everyone."

"Gauthier... He's certainly a great asset and I'd hate to lose him, but a loss is a loss."

* * *

In the meantime, Xavier watched anxiously from the bridge of his ship.

" _Mon général!_ " His second-in-command beside him was equally restless.

The waves were rough and the  _Fantôme_  was certainly sinking. Evan, Bastien and Giorgio were trapped in there, but was it really worth risking the lives of many of his officers just for them?

"Capitaine!" Désirée barged into the room urgently, "We should do something!"

"Désirée, the stakes were too high. We'd just be sending people to their deaths!"

Désirée looked out the window at the helpless situation before her, hating to admit that Xavier's words were true. It was like her previous experience of watching her friends drown happening all over again. This time with it being Evan and Bastien, she couldn't even imagine what feeling she'd have if she lost them.

"We're coast guards. Even if there's just one person out there who's in trouble, I don't think we should turn our backs on them," she said boldly, "I'm borrowing one of the patrol boats!"

"Désirée!"

"Evan and Bastien always find ways to make things workーThey'll make it out in time. I know it! I'll just have to be there for them when they do." There was an unwavering determination in her voice. With that, she stormed out of the bridge hurriedly.

* * *

_Control Room, Le Fantôme 15:41_

Gauthier and all his men had rushed out of the control room earlier, with Gauthier shouting wildly for Anaïs. Evan and Bastien were left by themselves in the room. A transmission from Sarah came in.

"Evan, some cameras caught Kantaris heading to the ship's lower levels. She's planning to get away in a submarine!" She reported.

"Well, everything's just going further down the pit!" Evan cursed. And Giorgio was still stuck at his cabin, too... Was there even a way out of this?

"Evan!" Désirée's voice came in through his earpiece, "I'm getting a boat to you. Get out of there and hop on before it sinks!"

"Désirée! Have you gone mad?!" Evan asked, worried for her.

"I don't knowーI don't care anymore! I'd rather die trying than lose the both of you!" She replied, "I trust that you'll come up with something to get yourselves out of there."

"...," Evan bit his lip. Everything was quickly going out of control. Désirée certainly provided some hope for escaping, but Kantaris... If he tried running after her, he'd definitely not make it out in time. But perhaps it would be much better to sacrifice himself than let the terrorist be out there to cause more harm...

_'You came in here without any escape plan, didn't you? So you're back to thinking that it's okay to throw your life away as long as the mission's successful and more lives are saved. Do you know that that's the exact reason why you're always so reckless?'_

Giorgio's words rang in his head. He took a step back.

_'No, there must be a better way of doing this...'_

Evan closed his eyes. Instead of jumping straight into the fire, he decided to take a moment to think things over. The hijacking USB still plugged to the computer next to him came to mind... Opening his eyes, he looked to Bastien, who seemed quite frantic.

"Bastien, can I trust you with getting Giorgio out of here?" He asked.

"What about you?" Bastien asked back.

"I'm going after Kantaris," Evan replied, quickly gathering some extra ammo from the fallen pirates on the ground.

"Evan...!"

"Don't worry, I have a plan," he said confidently, before contacting Sarah again. "Sarah, tell me the route to get to the submarine before Kantaris does."

* * *

Out on the deck of Xavier's ship, Désirée held onto the railings. The raging waves crashed hard against the ship's hull as the gusts blew wildly and the giant raindrops slammed against her face. Looking at the waters, she weighed the chances of a patrol boat even being able to make it. The plan didn't sound promising at all, and she looked desperately at the sinking ship in front of her.

The storm and the wavesーthey reminded her so much of past events and she trembled, thinking that this time, the sea would claim her, too. How was she going to do this alone? A hand suddenly put on her shoulder made her gasp, stopping her line of thoughts. She turned around to see Xavier there with some of his men. Xavier sighed.

"Even if that entire ship in front of us is mostly made up of criminals, it's very unbecoming of us to just let so many people drown and do nothing. You reminded me of how we should always be there to save those in needーthat's our mission as coast guards," he said, "We'll be using this ship to save them. This is officially a rescue mission!"

Désirée lit up, "Ready to carry out your commands, capitaine!"

* * *

_Cabin, Le Fantôme 15:47_

Aside from the nauseating up and down movements of the ship, Giorgio could feel her slowly begin to tilt. This couldn't be good. He dragged himself up from his chair, trying hard to stand with his wounded leg. Sarah called him through his earpiece.

"Giorgio! I've unlocked your cabin's door. Mr. Lebeau is headed towards you. Join him and head to the deck," she instructed, trying to remain calm despite the situation, "Brig. Gen. Grégoire would bring his ship near you to pick you up."

"Thank you," Giorgio replied. "What about Evan?"

"Gone to get Kantaris, but he came up with something that might just work."

"Heh... He'd better not blow it up," Giorgio commented despite his worries. What crazy plan did he come up with now? If he turned up dead later, Giorgio would make sure to scold him in the afterlife.

Painfully, he leaned against the walls for support, dragging himself out of the cabin.


	16. Run away with me

**【Chapter 16: Toi et moi, on s'enfuit】**

_ー Toi et moi, on s'enfuit ー_  
_ー Run away with me. ー_

_Corridors, Le Fantôme 15:48_

The storms rocked the ship and Bastien slammed hard against the corridors' walls. He grabbed onto the railing that had been built into the wall to prevent being thrown off again. Looking down the corridor, he saw Giorgio coming out of his cabin and dropping onto his knees. Giorgio held fast onto the cabin's doorframe, trying hard not to be swept away by the ship's erratic movements.

"Monsieur Bruno!" Bastien called out, heading there quickly and holding onto Giorgio to help him up. "Can you stand?"

"Mr. Lebeau!" Giorgio was quite glad for the help, wincing a little as he put some strain on his leg.

"Hold on to me," Bastien said, slinging Giorgio's arm over his shoulder to provide some support. Giorgio nodded, grabbing onto the corridor's railings with his other hand for some extra help as they moved along.

"Sarah, I've joined Mr. Lebeau," Giorgio reported, "We'll be counting on you to lead us to the deck."

"Got that!" Sarah replied.

* * *

In the meantime, Gauthier had managed to reach Anaïs in her room, only for his men to report to him that Kantaris had escaped the ship with all her subordinates in the emergency submarine.

Gauthier gritted his teeth. He felt bad that Kantaris had just abandoned him, but he certainly couldn't blame herーshe was his boss after all. They were so close to winning but everything had to go to hell. Even so, he wanted at least Anaïs to survive this mess.

"We tried lowering the lifeboats, but the rough waves quickly washed them away and crashed them against the rocks!" One of his men reported from the ship's deck. Anaïs held onto him and looked up worriedly. Gauthier was at a loss of what to do. Then a transmission came in to give him a ray of hope.

"Monsieur l'Olonnais, do you copy?" Xavier called out, "The French Navy's frigates are heading towards you right now. Get everyone on the deck and let us help you!"

Gauthier bit his lip. Letting them help him would just mean capture. Normally, he'd have preferred death over that, but he just couldn't risk Anaïs.

"Fine! You better make sure that we all get out of this alive, you hear that?" He replied defiantly, before issuing his orders to his underlings. "Everyone, get onto the deck! Abandon ship!"

* * *

"How long would it take for this ship to sink?" Giorgio asked Bastien as they walked.

"A ship of this size? Probably a whole day or more. Ships take longer to sink the bigger they are, so take it easy," Bastien said reassuringly.

But then there was a sudden movement, and the lights flickered and turned off, indicating that water had flooded the ship's engine room and cut off the electricity. The  _Fantôme_  slowly began to incline onto its side.

"Unless we're dealing with a much bigger hole than expected!" He exclaimed frantically, walking faster. Giorgio winced as he allowed himself to be pulled along.

Heading towards the upper levels of the ship following Sarah's instructions, they eventually reached a metal door in an outer corridor. Bastien slapped the open button with impatience. No response. He pressed it again repeatedly in vain.

" _Merde!_  It doesn't work with no electricity!" He grumbled, giving it a final irritated punch.

"Mr. Lebeau!" Giorgio called out, directing his attention towards the windows.

"...?"

They both looked out, squinting through the heavy rain that pattered unceasingly against the windows. The French Navy's ships were making their way there quickly, led by Xavier's frigate.

"At least Désirée's doing pretty well with her plans," Bastien said, "Now, if only we can figure out a way out of here..."

Giorgio knocked lightly against the window, pretty sure of it being an unbreakable bulletproof glass, considering that this was a warship. He looked around as he thought, before the ceiling caught his attention.

"How about that?" He asked, pointing at the ventilation shaft.

" _Genial!_ " Bastien praised. "I don't know how many times I have to crawl through these just during this one mission, but let's do this!"

* * *

It wasn't a comfortable passage as Giorgio and Bastien made their way through the ventilation shaft. The waves would continue throwing the ship up and down, causing them to hit their head and shoulders on the ceiling every now and then. The sideways inclination of the sinking ship wasn't helping either. After a long, claustrophobic trip, they finally reached their destination.

"Good! Time to get out of here," Bastien said, rather pleased. He was just about to open the metal grating so they can get out, when they suddenly feel the ship begin to tilt almost 30 degrees vertically.

Bastien cursed as he grabbed onto the metal grating to prevent sliding down the shaft. "Mr. Bruno! Are you alright?!" He asked, looking down behind him to make sure.

"Yes!" Giorgio replied, pressing against the walls with both arms and legs to maintain his position. "Get us out of here!"

Bastien quickly did as he was told, opening the grating and hopping out. He helped Giorgio get down once he did.

The  _Fantôme_  creaked and tilted vertically a little more. Rough waves crashed against her and seawater washed in onto the deck and through the open door to Giorgio and Bastien's right. Seeing it as their way out, they rushed through the door and out onto the deck. What greeted them was the alarming sight of the back half of their ship being already submerged.

"Sarah, we're on the deck!" Giorgio gave an update.

"Thank goodness!" Sarah exclaimed, "We've finished evacuating l'Olonnais and his men. You're the last ones on board! Brig. Gen. Grégoire's ship is still waiting for you. You only have a few minutes before that ship sinks completely. Hurry!"

Giorgio nodded, looking down at the waters to see the smaller French Navy frigate a little ahead of them, being tossed up and down roughly by the waves.

"Here! I found these," Bastien said, tossing Giorgio a life vest. Giorgio promptly caught it.

"Neat!" He said as he put it on quickly. Giorgio quickly grabbed onto the railing as a huge wave crashed against the ship again, a strong lash of water washing over him and the entire deck. It almost swept him off his feet. Coughing as the water cleared, he looked to Bastien to make sure that he was still there. Luckily, he was.

"So, how do we do this?!" Giorgio yelled over the winds.

Bastien wiped the seawater off his face, holding fast onto the deck railings once more and looking down at Xavier's frigate. Near the frigate, he saw a set of ladder that had been lowered down from the deck. Must have been the ladder Gauthier and his men used to evacuate.

"We're climbing down that ladder and jumping onto the frigate," Bastien pointed out.

Giorgio looked down at the waves, which were easily lifting the frigate up and down between 2 to 8 meters below the ladder. He looked back at Bastien incredulously, "Are you crazy?!"

"That's our only way out of here! Come on!" Bastien replied.

Giorgio had no choice but to follow. With difficulty, they climbed up the deck while holding tightly onto the railing, Bastien leading in front. A giant wave crashed against the  _Fantôme_ , as if trying to devour her. The front of the ship tilted upwards sharply, the ship bending over 45 degrees vertically by now. Bastien and Giorgio held fast onto the metal railings.

"Shit!" Bastien cursed, looking at how far up the ladder was now raised over the frigate. Jumping down from that height would be suicide.

"Capitaine! We can't use the ladder!" He shouted into his mic.

The next moment, the  _Fantôme_  continued tilting until it was almost completely vertical. Bastien and Giorgio held onto the railings for dear life, sticking their feet in between the rails to get a foothold. Xavier was looking at them worriedly from the bridge of his ship, frantically looking for ways to help them. An idea soon struck.

"Use that railing as the ladder!" He suggested, "I'll bring the frigate closer to you!"

"Roger that!" Bastien replied, glad that they were not completely a lost cause yet.

Looking to the frigate, he saw her steer towards them. The  _Fantôme_ , however, continued to sink, so the two of them climbed up the railings to prevent getting swept away by the waves below them. Eventually, they decided to swing and hold onto the outer side of the deck railing, thinking that it would be easier to jump onto the frigate from there.

Once the frigate got into position, Bastien and Giorgio couldn't feel more relieved. Still, when Giorgio looked down, the way the gigantic waves lifted the smaller ship so far up and down below him gave him a scare. They could see Désirée with several other naval officers ready to assist them on the frigate's deck.

"Bastien! Mr. Bruno! JUMP!" She shouted at them, her voice barely heard in the roaring storm.

"HOW?!" Giorgio asked earnestly.

"Time it!" Bastien shouted from above him.

Giorgio looked downwards again. Forcing himself to calm down, he was beginning to see how the waves seemed to have a certain up and down rhythm. Waiting for the right moment when the frigate had risen as far up as it could, Giorgio held his breath and jumped, tumbling down onto the deck. Nevertheless, he landed safely.

"Mr. Bruno!" Désirée and the others rushed there to help him. Giorgio couldn't even begin to tell how glad he was to be back in safe hands.

"Nice work! Very well done!" Bastien shouted at him with relief, "My turn now!"

He quickly lowered himself down the railing. Désirée and Giorgio looked up with anticipation, hoping for the best. Everything seemed to proceed smoothly, but the moment Bastien was about to jump, a strong wave crashed against the  _Fantôme_ , causing her to tilt and Bastien to slip. He had a look of horror as he missed his aim and ended up plunging straight into the raging waters.

"BASTIEN!" Désirée yelled with wide eyes, leaning against the frigate's railings and looking down at the unforgiving waves.


	17. Nothing is impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finish iiitttt~! XDDDD  
> Yes, watching sinking ships and coast guard rescue vids like anything as I write. I shall tell you about my adventures in the trivia section later :p

**【Chapter 17: Rien n'est impossible】**

_ー Rien n'est impossible. ー_  
_ー Nothing is impossible. ー_

_Mediterranean Sea 16:19_

"BASTIEN!" Désirée repeated, looking frantically over the frigate deck's railings at the raging waters.

Luckily, Bastien had his life vest, so he resurfaced again fairly quickly, much to everyone's relief. Even so, he continued to be washed away by the rushing waves.

"Capitaine!" Désirée looked towards the ship's bridge pleadingly. Xavier seemed to have noticed the problem, ordering to drive his ship forward after Bastien. Désirée debated sending someone down there for him. Having more people stuck in the water would just be further trouble, but Bastien...

"Stay up there! I'll get up myself!" Bastien yelled. Désirée nodded nervously, deciding to believe in him.

"Lower the ladder!" She shouted at the other officers quickly. Giorgio watched tensely.

As for Bastien, it was certainly quite the challenge to maneuver through the strong waves with only one arm working, but he tried his best nevertheless. Rising and falling with the waves and making a couple of failed grabs at the ladder at first, he continued to do his best, until he managed to get a solid grip. The coming waves slammed him against the side of the frigate, but he held on, eventually managing to climb up.

Désirée and the other officers waiting at the top of the stairs quickly pulled him up once he made it. Exhausted, he let himself drop onto the deck. Everyone circled him immediately, cheering once they had known that their friend was safe. Bastien smiled in contentment, looking up at Giorgio. Giorgio nodded back at him, relieved that everything was over.

Everyone stood there on the frigate's deck for awhile, watching the  _Fantôme_  sink entirely in the storm.

* * *

_Submarine, unknown location 16:27_

In the meantime, Kantaris had successfully escaped in her submarine, still trying to calm down after all the rushing.

"Ms. Kantaris, a footage from our satellite showed that the  _Fantôme_  had sunken. Mr. l'Olonnais and the crew seemed to have been captured by the French Navy," one of her men reported. She sighed.

"Well, that's too bad...," she said, "But Gauthier's a good man. I can trust him with not spilling anything."

She took out her tablet, looking at a footage of her secret base where her men were taking apart the SSBN. She smirked in satisfaction.

"But what's the loss of one ship? We have the SSBN's blueprint now!" She laughed. "I'll go to the control room and ask the men how long this trip would take," she said, putting the tablet away.

She walked to the control room with two of her bodyguards afterwards. But when she tried to press the button to open the door, it wouldn't respond.

"...? Is something wrong with this door?" She asked, pressing at the button again two more times.

One of her two bodyguards took out his walkie talkie to contact the men inside, "Hey, why's the door locked? Open up!"

No answer. The two bodyguards looked at each other in question. "Hey, answer me when I ask!" The guard demanded impatiently.

Unknown to them, the VSSE's hijacking USB had been plugged into their control system in the room. Evan was comfortably leaning back on the chair in front of the main control unit, legs on the table. Kantaris' men who were supposed to be driving the ship laid across the floor, Evan having ambushed them and taken them out long back.

A few minutes ago, he had also heard from Sarah that Bastien and Giorgio were safe, so he was feeling quite satisfied with how smoothly everything was going. Content, he pulled down his legs and sat straight, replying to Kantaris' guards.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but we're headed straight for the VSSE's maximum security prison at the moment. Please tighten your seat belts and enjoy the ride.  _Bon voyage~_ ," he teased.

With that, Evan had certainly angered Kantaris and her guards. He heard the guards shouting some curses and kicking at the door, but with the thick metal door, they most definitely couldn't touch him. This was too easy. Evan leaned back again with his arms folded behind his head and a smug smirk, wondering how he was going to brag about capturing Kantaris to Giorgio later.

"You VSSE rats...!" Kantaris growled, gritting her teeth with a deep, angry frown.

"Step aside!" She ordered her guards in annoyance. The VSSE had gotten on her case too much and she wanted nothing more than to crush them for good. Reaching into her handbag, she took out what looked like a red lipstick. "I'll do this myself!"

In the control room, Evan was just having fun imagining how much Giorgio would praise him for his success. But upon hearing a sudden high pitched sound from the door, he snapped back to reality, looking there. What he saw was a red laser cutting the contour of a hole in the door. Kantaris was forcing her way in. He cursed and jumped out of his chair, suddenly gathering all the extra ammo he could from the fallen men on the floor in a hurry.

Once the hole was cut, one of Kantaris' bodyguards kicked it open. As they tried to enter, Evan shot at them immediately, but they managed to dodge and take cover.

"We have an intruder! Come here at once!" The bodyguard called for backup.

While Evan had the advantage that the guards couldn't all come at him at once due to the narrowness of the corridor, they came in big numbers. He took down quite a lot of guards, but his ammunition was thinning down unbelievably quickly. Then it came the time where he pulled the trigger but the gun's barrel clicked empty. He cursed.

The guards saw that as their chance, charging in at him. Evan clicked his tongue, putting the empty gun away and fighting the guards with his bare hands. Snatching the guns of defeated guards, he fought back again. It took a while, but he eventually managed to knock out all of them. He stood in the middle of the fallen men, panting in exhaustion with sweat and blood running down his face. Kantaris walked into the room, bladed fan in hand. She studied the mess in the room and shook her head.

"Hmm~ It seems that you  _are_ much better than I gave you credit for, Mr. Bernard, getting this far and taking out all my men like that," she said, fanning herself lightly, "Say, I'm starting to get a little... interested. Fufufu~"

"In your dreams!" Evan rejected. "You're the only one left here, and I'd hate to hurt women. So yes, I'd prefer that you just sit there quietly until we arrive!" He continued, wiping the sweat away from his face in exasperation.

"Oh, Mr. Bernard, that's so gentlemanly of you, but please~," she giggled, before her gaze turned into a murderous piercing glare, "If you go easy on me, you'd be the one in trouble."

Evan gasped, barely evading as Kantaris suddenly threw three knives at him. While he was distracted, she went in and kneed him in the stomach, grabbing and twisting his arm before finally slamming him to the ground face down. She straddled him on his back and pressed him down.

"With how tired you are, I don't think you can win against me, darling," she chuckled. Evan struggled. Looking forward, he saw that one of the throwing knives that Kantaris threw at him earlier was within reach.

"We'll see about that!" Evan retaliated, grabbing the knife and stabbing it into Kantaris' thigh. She screamed. Evan took the chance to throw her off of him.

"You little shit!" Kantaris cursed, getting up and slashing at his neck with her bladed fan.

Evan evaded narrowly, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her, using the momentum to slam her against the wall and pin her there facing away from him. He squeezed her wrist to make her drop the fan.

"Kantaris! It's over!" He said, panting heavily.

Not wanting to admit her defeat, Kantaris struggled against his grip. "You...! Such a bad boy! Let go of me!" She protested. Before Evan knew it, she stomped on his toes with her boot.

Evan yelled in pain. Kantaris elbowed him and broke free immediately. Pulling away, she took out two little silver pistols from the folds of her dress, shooting at Evan. Evan ducked behind one of the room's tables.

"A rookie all by yourself! You can't dream of winning against me, Mr. Bernard! Hahaha!" Kantaris laughed, continuing to corner Evan.

Evan winced, looking around to look for a way to turn the situation around. His gaze stopped at the submarine's control boards.

"You forget... That I'm trained by one of the VSSE's best!" He said, dashing out of his cover the moment Kantaris had to reload. Smacking the submarine's brakes, he made the vessel jerk suddenly, causing Kantaris to lose her balance.

In the split second she was trying to regain her footing, Evan barreled at her, knocking her down and pinning her to the floor. Kantaris gasped in surprise at the sudden attack.

"Sorry about this," Evan said, before promptly knocking her unconscious.

He stayed there panting for awhile. After making sure that she was out for good, Evan let himself drop to the floor beside her, sighing in relief.

This had been a very long and difficult trip, but it was all over now and he could finally sit back and breathe a little. Looking back, it had been quite overwhelming when he first started the mission, but he had managed to come this far with everyone's help.

Glancing at the control room's computer screen, it was just a little more before he would arrive at his destination. Evan decided not to let his guard down until then.


	18. We'll meet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuhahahahaha...! XD

**【Chapter 18: On se reverra】**

_ー On se reverra. ー_   
_ー We'll meet again. ー_

_Submarine, Unknown location 17:11_

After everything had settled down, Evan sat in front of the main controls of the submarine's control room, reporting the latest developments to Sarah. Kantaris sat tied up to one of the chairs behind him, glaring daggers into his back.

"Nice work, Evan!" Sarah commended. "With this, we'd be pretty safe. I'd also like to thank you for the data you've sent us about the two stolen SSBNs. Brig. Gen. Grégoire had passed the information back to his higher ups, and the French Navy had successfully surrounded the one submarine hidden in the seas and forced them to surrender."

"That's good to hear," Evan replied gladly. "What about the one Kantaris was taking apart at her secret base?"

"Well, thanks to the location you've provided, we're doing our best to recover it," she said, opening a new window on the screen to show the VSSE's progress.

In the window, Kantaris' secret base and the stolen submarine was shown, with the engineers and mechanics panicking. VSSE agents could be seen breaking into the place, securing the location, capturing the criminals, and destroying the blueprints. Leading them was the VSSE's one and only legendary ace, Agent Richard Miller.

"Dude! You actually sent them the bomb!" Evan stood up in surprise and awe.

"Can't risk failing it this time," Sarah smiled. "But the danger had passed now. If you can safely get Kantaris to the maximum security prison, it's a mission complete for you!"

Evan nodded confidently, "We're almost there! Count on me!"

"Alright. Please report again when you've arrived. Sarah out."

* * *

 

_Unknown location 18:33_

The sun had set. Arriving at a secret location at the seas, Evan's submarine resurfaced. The area consisted of a small island hidden among tall rocks. It had been used by the VSSE as one of their checkpoints when transferring their prisoners to the maximum security prison. Some officers that had been stationed there moved towards the submarine to give Evan some assistance.

Opening the submarine's metal door, Evan climbed out, telling the officers that Kantaris was in the control room inside. They went in to do their work and Evan supervised them from the side. Bringing Kantaris out of the submarine, they were just preparing her to be transferred in one of the VSSE's highly guarded ships. The officers thanked Evan for his hard work.

"What are you looking so smug about?" Kantaris snapped at Evan as the VSSE officers walked by with her in front of him.

"Well, I finished my job and managed to accomplish what many had considered impossibleーcapturing you," Evan said, "With this, the world would be a safer place, and I intend on doing everything in my power to keep it that way. Justice would always win."

"Hahaha, you think that it would be  _that_  easy?" Kantaris laughed despite her situation, "That was very naïve of you, honey. How cute~"

She chuckled darkly. The insanity laced in her voice sent a cold chill down Evan's spine. He flinched. It bothered him to no ends how Kantaris could remain so calm, but to his reluctance, his question was soon answered. Just when things were going smoothly, a rocket propelled grenade was suddenly shot at them, exploding the ship that was supposed to transfer Kantaris.

"Sir! We're under attack!" One of the officers who was guarding the coastline shouted, running to them in a hurry.

"What?!"

A swarm of helicopters and aircrafts could suddenly be seen approaching. To everyone's horror, they bore the Wild Dog Organization's crest. Leaning out of one of the helicopter's side was Wild Fang, mounted machine gun ready to fire. He lit up when he spotted Kantaris.

"Ooh! Wild Dog! I see her! She's totally well and alive! HAHAHA!" He laughed maniacally.

"Well, we can't afford to lose our main arms supplier," Wild Dog said as he piloted the helicopter closer. "Let's save her then, shall we?" He said, shooting another explosive to his enemies below.

After that, Evan could only see chaos and hear people screaming. Wild Dog's men rained bullets on them. An officer grabbed him and pulled him behind cover. The enemy men jumped down from their helicopters and continued to attack. Evan saw Kantaris tackle the guards who were holding her and break free, then having her handcuffs quickly taken off by her allies.

"NO...!" Evan exclaimed, running out of his cover to shoot down the two men freeing Kantaris, but it was too late.

The moment he finished taking down the men, Kantaris had snatched a gun from one of them, immediately firing at Evan. Evan felt the bullet pierce his shoulder. A sudden explosion behind him then threw him off the ground, making him crash hard on the sand.

Evan's back felt as though it burned. His ears rang from the loud noise, and the world spun as he rolled onto his back, feeling heavily dazed and disoriented. There was a strong taste of iron in his mouth. From his blurred, unfocussed vision, he saw Kantaris kneel down next to him, lightly pressing the cold muzzle of her gun onto his forehead.

"Checkmate," Kantaris whispered almost lovingly.

She chuckled victoriously. Evan breathed heavily, his heartbeat quickening in nervous tension. Despite the shower of bullets and the fighting that continued to rage on all around them, the world felt as though it had stopped as he laid there, completely helpless at her mercy. Even so, Kantaris didn't seem to pull her trigger.

"Well, you know what? I'd say that you've far exceeded my expectations, Mr. Bernard. I hate to admit that someone actually managed to ruin my plans this bad and corner me to the point where they could handcuff me...," she continued, gently brushing back his fringe with her beautiful, slender fingers to take a good look at his fearful face.

"And you already know how much I just _love_  dangerous men. Hahaha," she laughed, "For that, Mr. Bernard, I think I'll let you live this time. Take it as a return gift for giving me all the entertaining surprises. I had fun..."

Putting her gun away, Kantaris leaned in slowly and gave Evan a deep, passionate kiss, making him gasp in horror. She took in his taste and Evan writhed, trying to pull away in vain. Satisfied, Kantaris finally pulled back, licking Evan's blood off her lips.

"I look forward to the day you become a full fledged agent, Mr. Bernard. May you provide me with all the excitement that I expect of you in future," she said as she smiled darkly, turning to leave.

His body heavy as lead, Evan watched Wild Dog's men escort her to a nearby helicopter in the storm of bullets. She boarded the aircraft and it took off. Evan watched it disappear into the night skies before he drifted off into unconsciousness.


	19. La Vie en Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! I finished it! WOOO! XDDD  
> Trivia section in the next chapter c:

**【Chapter 19: La Vie en Rose】**

_ー La Vie en Rose ー_  
_ー The world through rose-tinted glasses. ー_

_Hospital, Toulon, France 10:12_

When Evan came to, he found himself in the comfort of a hospital bed. The window was open, warm sunlight and a gentle morning breeze coming in. Evan rubbed his eyes, trying to blink away his grogginess and get over his disorientation. His back hurt and he saw bandages all over himself.

"You're awake," Evan heard from beside him. Looking there, he saw Richard, sitting on a chair with a rather concerned look on his face.

"Mr. Miller...?" Evan said, his voice coming out a little hoarse due to his dry throat. Richard quickly poured him a cup of water. Evan took it gladly, letting Richard help him sit up and drink.

"Thanks," Evan said, putting the glass aside after he was done, before pulling himself up into a more comfortable seating position. Finally getting a hold of himself, he leaned forward, the happenings involving Kantaris' escape slowly coming back to his mind.

"Mr. Miller, Iー...," Evan stuttered, still in shock. He couldn't believe that he ended up letting Kantaris escape, after all. Ashamed of himself, he failed to work up the courage to look Richard in the eye, gripping at his sheets with trembling hands.

"Iー... I've failed you. I've failed all of you...," he said with disappointment. He expected Richard to chide him about being overconfident and biting off more than he can chew as a rookie agent, but Richard only smiled gently and shook his head.

"Agent Bernard, you've done your best. I've tried capturing Kantaris by myself. Was she an easy catch? I'd say that she was quite far from it," he said, "Sometimes things don't go the way we planned, but your efforts hadn't been for nothing. You've got to look at the bright side."

"...?" Evan looked up at him quietly, wondering if he even had any saving grace. Richard gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Your friends would be here to see you soon," he said.

Sure enough, there was soon a knock on the door. Richard told them to come in. The door opened and Giorgio was standing there with a crutch, Bastien and Désirée standing behind him with a basket of gifts, and Xavier trying to peek into the room from a little behind them.

"Evan!" They called out almost in unison when they saw that he was awake. Evan couldn't help brightening up as they hurriedly made their way in to crowd around him.

"Everyone...!" He said cheerfully, glad to see that they were all doing well.

"We were so worried about you!" Désirée exclaimed. "Just glad that you made it back in one piece," Bastien followed.

"Wild Dog coming to save Kantaris might have been an unforeseen event," Giorgio said, "But other than that, I'd say that you've gotten over your recklessness and at least made plans. Good work on that."

Evan's eyes lit up immediately, " _Tonton!_  Really?"

Xavier nodded, "Either way, the data you got from the submarine saved us. Both stolen SSBNs had been secured and returned safely to the FSM. The officers there couldn't be more thankful. They asked me to pass their thanks to you. But well... I think we're all thankfulーif Kantaris hadn't been stopped, she'd have taken over the world!"

" _Pas de quoi_  (No problem)," Evan answered with a cheeky grin, but then a question struck him. "What happened to l'Olonnais and the others?"

"Well," Xavier said, "We've dealt with them and imprisoned them for now. L'Olonnais seemed to be content that Mademoiselle Lavigne was alive. The two of them seemed to be quite tight lipped regarding Kantaris and her dealings with them, though. Your higher ups had requested that they be transferred so they could deal with them personally. We're making the arrangements for that at the moment."

"Oh...," Evan said, thinking for awhile, "Here's to hoping that we'd get more information on Kantaris eventually, then." Giorgio nodded. Evan looked to Bastien and Désirée.

"What about you guys? I'm so, totally, sorry for dragging you into something with such a huge scale. I didn't even think it would turn out this crazy!" Evan said, apologizing profusely with his head bowed low.

" _Allons_  (Come on), Ev, it's not that bad," Bastien said, "We've heard everything from Xavier and Sarah. Can't believe that you've continued putting your life on the line to save lives even after quitting the coast guard!"

Désirée nodded, laughing a little, "And you know what's more interesting? After you dragged us into this mess, Bastien and I? We saw that we could still do things despite everything that had happened. Thanks for showing us who we really are. We're thinking of rejoining the coast guard."

Evan looked at them happily with bright eyes, "You are?!"

The two of them nodded. "We'll do our best, so we hope that you do yours as well. Show us how good you've become when we cross paths again," Bastien grinned.

" _Bien sûr!_  (Of course!) There's no way I'm losing to you!" Evan laughed.

Everyone grabbed a seat and they continued to chatter, reflecting on the mission and laughing together. It was warm moments with his friends like this that Evan cherished. No matter how bad things could get, as long as they hung around him, he was able to hold on to hope. And then, the world would be a bed of roses.

Seeing that his job for this mission was done, Richard left the room, looking forward to Evan's promising growth in future. Smiling with contentment at the happiness before him, he decided to leave them to themselves, gently closing the door.

**【END】**

* * *

**【Epilogue】**

_Wild Dog Secret Base, unknown location 20:12_

The dust had settled. Laying low for awhile, Kantaris sat at a desk in the comforting darkness of a high class, minimalistic room in one of Wild Dog's secret bases.

"Check," she said calmly, placing her white queen across Wild Dog's king on the chessboard before her.

"Hmm? You seem distracted," Wild Dog said with amusement as he moved his knight to take Kantaris' queen, "You'd normally have me many steps earlier, but you're making a lot of poor moves tonight. Hahaha."

"Oh, I just had a lot of things on my mind," Kantaris replied with a sigh, folding her arms as she leaned back on her chair and looked to the ceiling. "I heard that they're planning to pass dear Gauthier and Anaïs to the VSSE. No matter how tight lipped they are, I doubt that they'd stand a chance against the VSSE's interrogators, especially since they're loversーmany things to be taken advantage of there..."

"I can help you break them free," Wild Dog offered with a smirk, leaning against the table with a hand on his chin.

"Oh, Wild Dog, you're such a lovely friend!" Kantaris laughed, "I'd much appreciate that."

Wild Dog chuckled, "But that's not all, isn't it? Did something else interesting happen?"

"Well...," Kantaris replied, running her hand over the bandages on her thigh where Evan had stabbed her, "It's just that the VSSE was full of interesting people. Another one just caught my interest lately and I just thought... Wouldn't it be nice if we could just find a way to manipulate them into working for us instead? I can't help but want them to be in my hands. Fufufu~"

"...?" Wild Dog looked at her curiously.

"I might look like I'm making a loss at first...," Kantaris said, moving one of her pawns ahead to the edge of the chessboard and promoting it into a queen. Wild Dog flinched, realizing that his king was now cornered. Kantaris smirked, "But trust me, I'll make everything work out in my favor in the end."

She chuckled dangerously, beginning to spin a plan in her head.

_Checkmate._

**【Epilogue End】**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This story's trivia collection in the next chapter →)


	20. Trivia Collection

**【Trivia Collection】**

**【Title】**

The title 'La Vie en Rose' is from the French idiom _'Je vois la vie en rose'_ (I see the world through rose-tinted glasses). Mainly relating to everyone keeping their optimistic views of life despite everything that had happened.

Note: This fic has nothing to do with Edith Piaf's song! XD

* * *

**【Name Meanings】**

Bastien Lebeau  
→ Bastien = venerable  
→ Lebeau = the handsome one

Désirée Garcia  
→ Désirée = desired  
→ Garcia = bear / young

Xavier Grégoire  
→ Xavier = the new house  
→ Grégoire = watchful / alert

Gauthier l'Olonnais  
→ Gauthier = ruler of the army  
→ l'Olonnais = from the famous French pirate François l'Olonnais (1630 – 1669)

Anaïs Lavigne  
→ Anaïs = favour, grace  
→ Lavigne = the vineyard

Le Fantôme  
→ The Phantom

Château Vinrose  
→ Vin = wine  
→ Rose = pink

* * *

**【France】**

French things appearing in this fic. Definitely do a Google Image search or YouTube search for double the fun XD

 **Organizations:  
** Marine Nationale (French Navy), Gendarmerie Maritime (French coast guard), Forces Sous-Marines (Submarine Forces of France)

 **Food:**  
Baguette, tartine, aligot, Camembert, Mimolette, Brie de Meaux, Chaource, Crottin de Chavignol

 **Places:**  
Balearic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Marine Nationale Headquarters, Toulon,  
Médoc, Bordeaux, Louvre, Paris, Seine, Eiffel Tower,  
Gare de Najac, Place du Faubourg, Najac, Aveyron, Occitanie,  
Bay of Biscay, Côte d'Argent.

 **Ships/Submarines:**  
Ballistic missile submarine (SSBN),  _Charles de Gaulle_  (France's aircraft carrier),  _Arago_  (one of the French coast guard patrol vessel).

 **People:  
** François l'Olonnais

 **Other:**  
Le 14 Juillet (the 14th of July),  
Bal des pompiers (firemen's ball)

* * *

**【Maritime Disasters & Sea Rescue】**

\- The ones I used for sinking ship references are mainly these:  
 _MTS Oceanos, SS Pendleton, Costa Concordia_

\- As for sea rescue, mainly this YouTube vid about the operations of France's  _Abeille Bourbon_  ^3^ :  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa1NrfNQxWM

\- I haven't found one for the French coast guard, but I found this vid about the U.S. coast guard's training period:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDhPMBQma7U  
If the French coast guard does the same/similar things, Evan probably knows how to sew. Neat! XD Other than that, they have much physical training like other military units OuO

\- From my various research, it seems that fishermen and the coast guard work very closely. Fishing is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world due to the risk of storms and how taxing it is physically. Fishermen can also contact the coast guard when they're in trouble or if they get injured at sea. The coast guard also runs checks to make sure that fishing boats are in proper conditions to sail. Coast guard rescue missions are often (if not mostly) done with the help of helicopters.  
→ Since Evan comes from a fishing family, I'm guessing that he had bumped into the coast guard quite a lot since he was young. Or a least heard stories from Dad :D

* * *

**【Production Notes】**

\- A lot of experimentation went into this fic, so it was probably the hardest to pull off from all my fics so far x'DDD  
→ 'Where the Dog is Buried' and 'Hay or Water?' had plots that mainly focussed on only outer conflicts, so I tried incorporating character developments in this one.  
→ Also tried multiple main characters (Evan, Bastien and Désirée moving mostly as one unit and developing together)  
→ Tried giving all the characters a proper backstory.

\- The result? I think I half failed, half succeeded~ TuT  
→ Success: Managed to pull off everything above that I've set out to do.  
→ Problem: The scale turned too big, story structure died, main theme got diluted and vanished, holes cropping up everywhere, and some parts not being explored as much as I'd have liked to (Gauthier, Anaïs and the entire pirate motif getting pushed too much into the background halfway through the fic)

So yes, I'll see what I can do to reduce the size and keep things more under control next time. I'm pretty sure there are a thousand better ways I can arrange the same cards on the table :p

\- Kantaris kind of stole the entire spotlight the moment she appeared. I had fun writing her, though XDDD

\- Although I originally wanted something more lighthearted, this story turned much heavier than expected, overall... =u=  
This was originally supposed to have TC's 3 Stage structure as well, but with all the plot points I added in, that kind of flew out the window somewhere in the middle :p

\- Xavier is actually based on No. 0 from 'Lost Identity' (my other fic). I have Bastien and Désirée here, so I thought I might as well import him XDD

* * *

**【Extra】**

\- Credits to June Ellie for providing some info about pirates when I was just starting out. Gave me a nice overview about the history of pirates and a good starting point to research OuO

Either way, hope you had fun! Thank you so much for bearing with me and sticking around till the end. I'll do my best to improve and see you in my next fic! ^0^


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